Centennial Public Schools, NE

Original Research by School Decision on Centennial Public Schools

Centennial Public Schools is a small, rural district in Nebraska’s Seward County that serves students from preschool through twelfth grade in a single set of connected buildings: an elementary school, a middle school, and a combined junior-senior high school. The district draws from a handful of small towns and unincorporated areas spread across the county—places like Utica, Beaver Crossing, Gresham, and others whose names appear on the zip-code list that defines the district’s housing market. Those communities are quiet, agricultural in character, and distant enough from larger employment centers that the district functions as a clear community anchor. The student body is small, and the overall feel is that of a place where families know one another and the school sits at the center of local life.

On state assessments, Centennial’s results are mixed but with clear bright spots. In math, the grades that have reported proficiency rates show strong performance: a large majority of fifth graders and a similarly high share of eighth graders scored proficient or above. Several grade levels within the math and English language arts assessments have their results suppressed, which is not unusual for a small district where group sizes can fall below the state’s minimum for reporting. In English language arts, the pattern is more variable. The fourth grade posted a very high proficiency rate, while fifth and seventh grades came in at more modest levels. Sixth grade fell in between. Science results are suppressed at both tested grade levels, so no clear picture of science achievement is available from that data alone. The overall proficiency index, which averages performance across tested subjects and grades, places Centennial above the midpoint when compared with the other districts in Seward County. The chronic absenteeism rate is among the lowest in the county, which points to strong daily attendance and consistent family engagement.

The district’s demographic profile is overwhelmingly white, with small numbers of Black, Hispanic, and Asian students. Information on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available in the data, so a parent would want to ask the district directly about these supports. The district spends notably more per student than its county peers, which may reflect the cost of running three small school buildings and providing a full pre-K-through-12 program without the economies of scale that larger districts enjoy.

Housing in the area around Centennial Public Schools is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks. The weighted home value estimate for the district’s coverage area sits below the Nebraska median but above some of the smaller towns within the zip-code set. Values have been rising in recent years, consistent with broader trends across much of the Midwest. Affordability will depend on a family’s specific town—some ZIPs show values closer to the county seat of Seward, while others remain lower.

No data was available on course offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, career and technical education pathways, or fine arts. A parent considering Centennial would want to speak with the high school about the breadth of the academic program, especially if they have a student aiming for a competitive college or a specialized career track. Similarly, no recent bond issues, curriculum changes, or property tax adjustments were found in a search of district news, which suggests a period of relative stability.

Centennial Public Schools is a good fit for families who value a small, rural environment with strong attendance and solid core academic results in the elementary and middle grades, and who are willing to engage directly with the school to learn about the upper-level program offerings and student-support infrastructure. The district’s size means that students cannot be anonymous, and the community context is one where the school and the town are tightly linked.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

497

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 4%

Black 3%

White 92%

Asian 1%

Two+ 1%

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

CENTENNIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CENTENNIAL JR-SR HIGH SCHOOL

CENTENNIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

2 grades reported

83%

Grade 5

85%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

4 grades reported

86%

Grade 4

65%

Grade 5

76%

Grade 6

63%

Grade 7

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$269,652

Year-over-year change+5.6%

Range across 13 ZIP codes$203K to $314K

vs. state typical0.97x

vs. national typical0.73x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (13 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
68460		$313K	+3.6%	32.4%
68313	Beaver Crossing	$282K	+6.1%	18.7%
68456	Utica	$250K	+10.8%	15.6%
68367	Gresham	$217K	+3.5%	14.3%
68467	York	$222K	+6.4%	6.8%
68669	Ulysses	$221K	+8.0%	3.5%
68434	Seward	$314K	+8.3%	3.0%
68359	Friend	$224K	-3.6%	2.2%
68662	Shelby	$218K	+0.6%	1.2%
68439	Seward	$243K	+10.9%	1.0%
68316	Benedict	$230K	+2.3%	0.3%
68666	Stromsburg	$203K	+2.1%	0.2%
68405	Milford	$313K	+8.4%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,361/mo

Home price / national median income3.2x

Comparison

State typical home value$279,080 (+3.4% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.