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School district · Nebraska · LEAID 3172390

Kearney Public Schools

Kearney Public Schools spends $12,776 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable Nebraska districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Kearney Public Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$77,304
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$12,776
Per-pupil spending
6,152
Students enrolled
96th
Pct. in NE
$77,304

Kearney Public Schools spends $12,776 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable Nebraska districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $77,304, above the national average of $70,245, serving 6,152 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower per-pupil spending: Kearney Public Schools spends $12,776 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable Nebraska districts with a reliable figure.
  • 96th percentile for Nebraska
  • 71st percentile nationally
  • 44% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Nebraska ranks #31 of 49 on the salary estimate and #35 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Kearney Public Schools ranks #9 of 200 Nebraska districts by estimated teacher salary and #200 of 200 by per-pupil spending. Umo N Ho N Nation Public Schs pay #1 at $90,446 is not Laurel-concord-coleridge School spending #1 at $62,234 per pupil
  • +11.6% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Nebraska median

Among 246 Nebraska districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Kearney Public Schools's instructional payroll puts 70.7% into regular program , 10.1 points below the state median of 80.7%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Kearney Public NE median Gap
Regular program 70.7% 80.7% -10.1 pp
Special education 14.3% 11.8% +2.5 pp
Other programs 15.0% 7.4% +7.7 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 246 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 3172390 · FY2023.

LEAID 3172390 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Kearney Public F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +22% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P96 in state RANK-NAT-MID P71 national PPE-LOW $13K/pupil ENR-MID 6,152 students INSTR-MID 44% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Grand FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $77,304 estimated average teacher salary · P96 in Nebraska · P71 nationally · 44% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Grand (+$1,463est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Kearney Public

Salary neighbourhood · Kearney Public

Kearney Public already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Kearney Public

Kearney Public Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$77,304 Top 29% higher than 71% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Kearney Public Schools $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Kearney Public in Nebraska's upper-third pay band

Same 200 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Kearney Public Schools ranks #9 of 200 Nebraska districts by estimated teacher salary and #200 of 200 by per-pupil spending. Umo N Ho N Nation Public Schs pay #1 at $90,446 is not Laurel-concord-coleridge School spending #1 at $62,234 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Kearney Public Schools is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Laurel-concord-coleridge School leads spending at $62,234 per pupil; Umo N Ho N Nation Public Schs leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$77,304.126

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Nebraska price level
90.3 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$85,619

+11% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Nebraska run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Nebraska compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Kearney Public Schools

What the Numbers Say About Kearney Public Schools

Kearney Public Schools is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Nebraska, serving 6,152 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $12,776. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $77,304, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3172390 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Nebraska statewide average of $63,159, teacher pay in Kearney Public Schools runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 22.4% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (10.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Nebraska, it pays more than 96% of them. Nebraska itself ranks #31 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Kearney Public Schools reports $78.6M in total expenditure against $86.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 44% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $20.8M, special-education teacher pay is $4.2M.

How does Kearney Public Schools compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Nebraska average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Kearney Public Schools $77,304
Omaha Public Schools $74,787
Nebraska avg $63,159
National avg $70,245

Kearney Public Schools pays +3.4% more than Omaha Public Schools · per-pupil $12,776 vs $18,493

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Nebraska districts

On pay, Kearney Public Schools sits closest to Grand Island Public Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Norris School Dist 160. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Grand Island Public Schools
  2. Scottsbluff Public Schools
  3. Fremont Public Schools
  4. Columbus Public Schools
  5. So Sioux City Community Schs
  6. Gering Public Schools
  7. Bellevue Public Schools
  8. York Public Schools
  9. Papillion la Vista Community Schools
  10. Blair Community Schools
  11. Ralston Public Schools
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Norris School Dist 160
  2. Blair Community Schools
  3. Gering Public Schools
  4. Elkhorn Public Schools
  5. Millard Public Schools
  6. York Public Schools
  7. Waverly School District 145
  8. Scottsbluff Public Schools
  9. Grand Island Public Schools
  10. Papillion la Vista Community Schools
  11. Beatrice Public Schools

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Kearney Public Schools's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Kearney Public Schools: closest on enrollment (6,152 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($77,304 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$86.0M
Total Revenue
$78.6M
Total Expenditure
$34.2M
Instruction Salaries
44% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$20.8M
Regular Program
$4.2M
Special Education
$0.0M
Vocational
$4.4M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Kearney Public Schools: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Nebraska Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Nebraska districts belongs to Umo N Ho N Nation Public Schs at $90,446. Kearney Public Schools sits in the upper quarter of that field at 8 of 90, nearer the ceiling than the floor. Kansas and Kentucky are the states closest to Nebraska on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all Nebraska districts →

Other Nebraska Districts

Large-district sample from 199 Nebraska peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Lakeview Community Schools
$64,290
952 students
Cozad Community Schools
$58,764
949 students
Chadron Public Schools
$62,280
941 students
Fairbury Public Schools
$61,215
909 students
Broken Bow Public Schools
$61,383
890 students
Falls City Public Schools
$70,282
880 students

This is a sample of 6 from 199 Nebraska districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kearney Public Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Kearney Public Schools?

The average teacher salary in Kearney Public Schools is $77,304 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Kearney Public Schools teacher pay compare to the Nebraska average?

Kearney Public Schools pays 22.4% more than the Nebraska state average of $63,159. The district's average is $77,304.

How does Kearney Public Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?

Kearney Public Schools pays 10.0% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $77,304.

What is the per-pupil spending in Kearney Public Schools?

Kearney Public Schools spends approximately $12,776 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Kearney Public Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 44% of Kearney Public Schools's total expenditure of $78.6M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Kearney Public Schools
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Kearney Public Schools's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.