The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Science. The lowest is 40% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hastings Middle School
Hastings Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in the Hastings Public Schools district, a regular public school situated on the south side of the city. The school has a sizable enrollment for a middle school, drawing from a district that covers a mid-sized micropolitan city and its surrounding area.
State test results for the most recent school year show a mixed profile that a parent will want to examine closely. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency standards fell within a moderate band across all three grades, with the eighth-grade results coming in strongest and sixth grade the weakest. Mathematics proficiency was lower overall, with each grade level performing at a lower rate than in English language arts; again eighth grade was the strongest and seventh grade the weakest. Science, which Nebraska tests only in eighth grade, showed a meaningfully higher proportion of students meeting proficiency than either math or English language arts in that grade. Over the last several years measured, overall proficiency in English language arts, math, and science has trended downward from earlier peaks, though the most recent year in math represents a sharper decline than in the other two subjects. When placed against other school districts in Adams County, this school’s combined proficiency index landed in the bottom quartile, meaning most other districts in the county had higher overall test performance. A parent considering this school may want to ask the school directly about the factors behind this positioning and about any targeted improvement efforts underway.
The school’s student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and small shares of students who are two or more races, Black, Asian, or American Indian or Alaska Native. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of significant economic need across the school population. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available for this report, leaving a gap that a parent may wish to fill by contacting the school directly.
The community context for Hastings is a stable, historically layered city that has adapted through major economic shifts. Founded as a railroad junction and later reshaped by the World War II-era Naval Ammunition Depot, the city now anchors a mix of light industry, agricultural services, and higher education through Hastings College and Central Community College. The downtown core along Burlington Avenue and 2nd Street retains a walkable historic feel with civic and cultural institutions, while the broader residential areas are auto-oriented. The housing market shows home values that are lower than the state benchmark, and rents that are moderate relative to household incomes, which may make the area accessible for a range of families. The city’s growth has been stable in recent decades, and a new middle school building opened in the recent past, though this report did not find other major district-level changes that would be top of mind for a current parent.
Because this is a middle school serving only grades six through eight, there is no graduation rate to report. The school offers no data on discipline, course access, staffing, or attendance, so a parent cannot assess those dimensions from this information alone. The school does not operate as a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not reported. Given the school’s performance profile and the economic profile of its student body, a family researching this school should plan a conversation with school leadership about academic supports, special education and English learner services, and the steps being taken to address the trend in state assessment results.
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