Can I use Butler County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Butler County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Butler County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Butler County?

Start with the 6 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Butler County Schools & Education

Name: Butler County, Nebraska Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Butler County, Nebraska

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

86/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

93.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

93.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.9%

Per-Pupil Spending

$11,714

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,521

School Score

86/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 64/100

State Score Position

of 93 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Butler County

Measured School Summary

Butler County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 86/100 and a graduation rate of 93.3%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Butler County spends $11,714 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 34% above the Nebraska average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 6.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 11% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Butler County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

6 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

86/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #7 of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data.

Completion

93.3%

6.4 pts above the state average

Funding context

$11,714

$1,193 above the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Butler County has 6 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Butler County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Small-system county

Butler County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.

State position

of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data. The county score is 22 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary and high visible

676 students

Elementary 2Middle 0High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary and high visible

297 students

Elementary 2Middle 0High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS is the largest listed district slice, with 3 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Butler County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Butler County district systems?

Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Butler County, Nebraska

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Focused Education Across Six Campuses

Butler County supports 973 students within six public schools across two primary districts. The infrastructure includes four elementary schools and two high schools, ensuring a strong start and finish for local students.

David City Leads Local Enrollment

David City Public Schools serves as the largest district with 676 students across three schools. The remaining students are served by East Butler Public Schools, with no charter schools operating in the county.

Town Amenities Meet Rural Quiet

The county offers a blend of two town-based schools and four rural campuses, with an average school size of 162 students. David City Secondary School is the largest campus with 308 students, while Bellwood Elementary offers a tiny, personal environment for just 91 children.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Butler County

Reported Enrollment

973

6 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary4

Middle0

High2

Other0

2 School Districts in Butler County

DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

3 schools

676 students

EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

3 schools

297 students

6 Public Schools in Butler County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 6 of 6 matching schools

Public schools in Butler County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
DAVID CITY SECONDARY SCHOOL	Record	DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS	DAVID CITY, 68632Town: Distant	7–12	High	308
DAVID CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS	DAVID CITY, 68632Town: Distant	PK–6	Primary	277
HIGH SCHOOL AT BRAINARD	Record	EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS	BRAINARD, 68626Rural: Distant	7–12	High	129
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT BRAINARD	Record	EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS	BRAINARD, 68626Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	121
BELLWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS	BELLWOOD, 68624Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	91
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT DWIGHT	Record	EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS	DWIGHT, 68635Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	47

DAVID CITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DAVID CITY, 68632 / Town: Distant

Record7–12High308 students

DAVID CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DAVID CITY, 68632 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary277 students

HIGH SCHOOL AT BRAINARD

EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BRAINARD, 68626 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High129 students

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT BRAINARD

EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BRAINARD, 68626 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary121 students

BELLWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BELLWOOD, 68624 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary91 students

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT DWIGHT

EAST BUTLER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DWIGHT, 68635 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary47 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$11,714

State avg $10,521

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Butler County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Nebraska counties have the highest graduation rates?

Washington County (96.3%), Seward County (96.2%), and Keith County (95.4%) currently lead Nebraska among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Nebraska?

Across Nebraska counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $10,521. The highest current county values are Wheeler County ($19,491), Sioux County ($18,861), and Loup County ($18,703). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Butler County?

Butler County has a school score of 86/100, which is a higher measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Butler County?

The high school graduation rate in Butler County is 93.3%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Butler County spend per student?

Butler County spends $11,714 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Butler County, Nebraska — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Butler County, Nebraska?

What are the major school districts in Butler County, Nebraska?

What is the school experience like in Butler County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Clay County

Nebraska

-0 pts

86/100

School score

Merrick County

Nebraska

+0 pts

86/100

School score

Stanton County

Nebraska

+1 pts

87/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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