[an error occurred while processing this directive] Quality education opportunities available 06/30/05
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Web-Posted Jun 30, 2005
Quality education opportunities available


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Third City residents can send their children to a variety of public or private schools in Grand Island.

The mix includes two public high schools, a Catholic middle school and high school, a Lutheran high school and four parochial elementary schools.

Public schools

The Grand Island Public Schools serve about 7,800 students with a staff of about 590 certified full-time and part-time teachers and administrators.

Grades for the Grand Island Public Schools are aligned so that elementary schools serve kindergarten through fifth-grade students, middle schools educate students in the sixth through eighth grades and G.I. Senior High teaches ninth- to 12th-grade students.

In the fall of 2005, the Grand Island Public Schools will switch from half-day kindergarten to full-day kindergarten.

The Grand Island school district has 14 elementary schools, three middle schools and a single high school.

Grand Island Northwest is a ninth- to 12th-grade, high school-only district served by four rural elementary feeder schools. With a staff of more than 50 certified teachers and administrators, Northwest High School has an enrollment of about 650 students.

Northwest is governed by a six-member school board elected from the rural areas surrounding Grand Island.

The elementary feeder schools for Northwest are: Cedar Hollow, located just southwest of Grand Island; District 1-R, just north of Grand Island; St. Libory, in Howard County; and Chapman, in Merrick County. Each of the elementary schools is a separate school district, with its own school board. Each of these elementary-only districts are called Class I schools in Nebraska.

That arrangement will continue for at least one more school year, before possibly changing. A law approved by the state legislature earlier in 2005 mandates that such elementary schools merge with the larger high school to form a single school district. As a result, all five schools are scheduled to be governed by a single school board.

However, a petition circulation effort is underway to repeal the law. If the petition drive is successful, the issue will go on the ballot in 2006 for Nebraska voters to decide whether such schools should be consolidated into a single school district or whether the present arrangement of having Class I elementary-only districts will continue.

Westridge Middle School is part of the Grand Island school district. At one time, though, Westridge also which was once a Northwest feeder school. As a result, Westridge Middle School students chose to attend Northwest High School. As a result, two advisory board members from that part of town also are part of the Northwest school board, although their votes are not binding.

Under Nebraska's school choice law, families may live in one public school district but still have the option for parents to send their children to another public school.

Parochial schools

Grand Island has six parochial schools for parents to choose from. Two are at the secondary level and four are elementary schools.

Central Catholic serves about 305 students in the sixth through 12th grades and has a staff of approximately 35 certified teachers and administrators.

Heartland Lutheran High School is Grand Island's youngest parochial school. Administrator Curt Fischer said anticipated enrollment for the 2005-06 school year is 70 students for the grade 9-12 high school.

The school has seven teachers, plus Administrator Curt Fischer. Heartland Lutheran's first year was 2000-01, when it opened the fall term with five students.

Four parochial schools at the elementary level are Grand Island Christian, Seventh-day Adventist, Trinity Lutheran (Missouri Synod) and Christ Lutheran (Wisconsin Synod).

School locations and phone numbers

Administration Building, 123 S. Webb Road, 385-5900

Elementary schools:

Dodge, 641 S. Oak, 385-5889

Engleman, 4360 W. Capital, 385-5902

Gates, 2700 W. Louise, 385-5892

Howard, 502 W. Ninth, 385-5916

Jefferson, 1314 W. Seventh, 385-5922

Knickrehm, 2013 N. Oak, 385-5927

Lincoln, 910 E. Eighth, 385-5924

Newell, 2700 W. 13th, 385-5905

Seedling Mile, 3208 E. Seedling Mile Road, 385-5910

Shoemaker, 4160 Old Potash Highway, 385-5936

Stolley Park, 1700 W. Stolley Park Road, 385-5913

Wasmer, 318 S. Clark St., 385-5920

West Lawn, 3022 W. College, 385-5930

Middle schools:

Barr Middle School, 602 W. Stolley Park Road, 385-5875

Walnut Middle School, 1600 N. Custer Ave., 385-5990

Westridge Middle School, 1812 Mansfield Rd., 385-5886

High schools:

Grand Island Senior High School, 2124 N. Lafayette Ave., 385-5950

Northwest High School, 2710 N. North Road, 385-6394

Parochial schools:

Central Catholic Middle School-High School, 1200 N. Ruby Ave., 384-2440

Heartland Lutheran High School, 3900 W. Husker Highway, 385-3900

Christ Lutheran School, 1300 Grand Island Ave., 381-2837

Grand Island Christian School, 1804 W. State, 384-2755

Seventh-Day Adventist Elementary, 636 S. Shady Bend Road, 384-1480  

Trinity Lutheran School, 208 W. 13th, 382-5274
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