Pleasanton Public Schools, NE

Original Research by School Decision on Pleasanton Public Schools

Pleasanton Public Schools serves a small, rural student body across a single elementary school and a single high school, covering pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Buffalo County. The district is small enough that many families will know their children’s classmates and teachers personally, and the setting is one where the school sits at the center of the community.

The available state test results offer a fragmented picture. Results were suppressed for many grade levels and subjects due to small group sizes, a common occurrence in a district this size. Among the data that was reported, seventh-grade math proficiency stood at a level many parents would consider solid. In English language arts, the fifth and sixth grades showed proficiency levels that were moderate. Science results were suppressed for both tested grade levels. A parent looking for a full, grade-by-grade view of academic performance will find that the small cohort sizes make it difficult to draw broad conclusions. When compared against other districts in Buffalo County on an overall proficiency index, Pleasanton Public Schools placed above the midpoint, indicating its performance is competitive with its neighbors.

The district’s chronic absenteeism rate was notably low, landing in the top quartile among Buffalo County districts. This is a meaningful indicator of student engagement and daily attendance, and it aligns with what one might expect in a small, close-knit rural district where students are known by name.

On the financial side, per-pupil current spending fell in the middle range, upper half of Buffalo County districts. This suggests a level of funding that is neither notably lean nor unusually generous relative to nearby peers.

Families considering Pleasanton should be aware that a major infrastructure investment is underway. In the spring of 2024, voters approved a school bond to fund construction, renovation, and equipping of school facilities. This is a lasting change that will shape the district’s physical plant and property tax obligations for years to come. The bond represents a community commitment to upgrading the school’s buildings, which may matter to families moving into the area.

The student body is racially homogeneous, with the vast majority of students identifying as white. The district did not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor did it report the share of students receiving special education services or English learner support. A parent who wants to understand the district’s resources for these populations would need to ask the school directly.

The housing market across the district’s coverage area, which includes the villages of Pleasanton, Amherst, and Riverdale as well as parts of the Kearney area, shows home values that are generally on par with or slightly above the national average. Rental options are limited, with available data pointing to a modest number of rentals in the Kearney zip code. The district is not a high-turnover rental market; it is an area where families tend to own their homes.

For a family seeking a very small rural district where the bond-passage signals community investment in the school’s future, Pleasanton Public Schools fits. The academics, based on what can be measured, are in line with peer districts in Buffalo County, and the attendance record is strong. The larger question a parent might want to explore with the school is about academic programming in the middle and upper grades, since the state test data leaves many gaps for a district this size.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

323

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 3%

White 97%

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

PLEASANTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PLEASANTON HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

1 grade reported

79%

Grade 7

English Language Arts

2 grades reported

68%

Grade 5

67%

Grade 6

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$362,081

Year-over-year change+6.7%

Range across 8 ZIP codes$221K to $398K

vs. state typical1.30x

vs. national typical0.98x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (8 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
68866	Pleasanton	$369K	+7.0%	64.5%
68870	Riverdale	$338K	+8.1%	10.6%
68812	Amherst	$398K	+7.7%	10.0%
68847	Kearney	$286K	+6.1%	6.2%
68844	Pleasanton	$379K	+0.9%	5.9%
68845	Kearney	$343K	+6.2%	1.7%
68852	Loup City	$222K	-1.4%	0.7%
68869	Ravenna	$221K	+5.0%	0.3%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,469/mo

Year-over-year change+11.6%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
68845	Kearney	$1,469	+11.6%	1.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,827/mo

Home price / national median income4.3x

Annual rent / national median income21.1%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$358/mo

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.