Nebraska City Middle School, Nebraska City NE

Original Research by School Decision on Nebraska City Middle School

Nebraska City Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Nebraska City Public Schools district. The school is located in Nebraska City, a small county-seat community on the western bank of the Missouri River. The town blends residential neighborhoods with a historic downtown corridor, and its economy draws on agriculture-related commerce, healthcare, retail, and a tourism sector anchored by Arbor Day heritage and the annual AppleJack Festival.

The student body is diverse in economic background, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially and ethnically, the school’s enrollment is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic population and small numbers of students from other racial groups.

State assessment results show a mixed picture. Reading proficiency rates varied by grade level, with students in eighth grade reaching a higher proficiency rate than students in sixth grade, while seventh grade had a low rate. In math, all three grade levels recorded low proficiency rates. Science results for eighth graders were also low. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, when measured against other school districts in Otoe County, placed in the bottom quartile. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school about specific instructional approaches in math and reading, and whether interventions target the grade levels where scores are weakest.

The school serves only the middle grades, so no graduation rate data applies, and the state testing data is for the grades it serves. The building is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet school. Information on course offerings, discipline, staffing, and attendance was not available in the data provided. The district brief turned up no recent curriculum changes, referendums, or tax measures of lasting parent interest, so families may want to contact the district office directly for any planned programming shifts.

Housing in the Nebraska City area is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, and the local economy shows a median household income and poverty rate typical of a small Midwestern county seat. The town’s population has grown modestly in recent years.

For a family considering this school, the main academic picture is one of a middle school where core proficiency rates, particularly in math, are an area of concern compared to other schools in the county. The school serves a community that is stable and small-town in character, with economic diversity in its student population. A parent may wish to explore what academic supports the school offers, especially in math, and what pathways are available for students at different skill levels.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 43% · ▼ 43 pts below district

even with state median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 50% · ▼ 49 pts below district

even with state median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

even with state median

English language arts

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 51% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 51% · ▼ 50 pts below district

even with state median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 54% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 42 pts above state median

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 81% · ▼ 80 pts below district

even with state median

This schoolNEBRASKA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.