Northwest High School (Grand Island, Nebraska)
| Northwest High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
2710 North North Road , , 68803 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Principal | P.J. Smith |
| Staff | 51.18 (FTE)[1] |
| Enrollment | 653[1] (2023-2024) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 12.76[1] |
| Colors | Black, Vegas gold and white [2] |
| Athletics conference | Central 10 Conference[2] |
| Nickname | Vikings[2] |
| Website | [1] |
Northwest High School is a secondary school in Grand Island, Nebraska, United States, and is part of the Northwest Public Schools district. It was founded in 1963.[3] It is accredited by AdvancED.[4] The school serves students in grades nine through twelve. Enrollment at the high school was 719 as of December 2016.[5]
Northwest High School colors are black and gold. The mascot is a Viking, and pupils are referred to as Northwest Vikings.[6]
Northwest High School is a member of the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA). They compete in District IV[7] and Central West conference.[8]
The school is in the city limits of Grand Island.[9][10] However, none of the district's taxation and attendance boundary covers any part of the Grand Island city limits.[11]
History
Northwest High School was formed in response to overcrowding at Grand Island Senior High School. The overcrowding even with just local students was so severe that the Grand Island school board demanded that 16 rural school districts in Hall and Merrick counties that, at the time, sent their high school students there consolidate with it or find somewhere else to educate their high school-aged students. As a consolidation would have resulted in tax increases for rural property owners, the school districts instead formed a Class VI school district—the Nebraska term for a union school district that only educated high school students, with a separate school board—and passed a $793,000 bond issue in order to erect a new facility.[12] The new school was forecast to immediately serve 200 students.[13] Opened as Grand Island Class VI High School in August 1963, the name was changed that September to Northwest High School upon a student vote.[14]
In 2022, the school administration shut down the school's student newspaper after transgender staff refused to comply with the school's demand to use their deadnames on article bylines. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the school. Although the lawsuit was dismissed due to a student's having graduated, Judge Gerrard wrote: "school administrators would be wise to remember that policies and decisions to restrict speech in student newspapers ... may run afoul of the First Amendment if they 'reflect an effort to suppress expression merely because the public officials oppose a speaker's view'."[15]
Notable alumni
- Rick Allen, sportscaster[16]
- Brian Mohr
- Max Rookstool
References
- ^ a b c "Northwest High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Northwest High School". Nebraska School Activities Association. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ Hager, Cassandra. "Northwest High School Celebrates 50 Years in Grand Island". www.1011now.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "AdvancED - Institution Summary". Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "District Information". Northwest Public Schools. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "NSAA Home". nsaahome.org. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "2015-2016 NSAA School Membership" (PDF). Nebraska School Activities Association. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "2015-16 NSAA Member Schools & Conferences" (PDF). Nebraska School Activities Association. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "Home". Northwest Public Schools. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
2710 N North Road, Grand Island, NE 68803
- ^ Geography Division (April 11, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Grand Island city, NE (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ Geography Division (January 14, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hall County, NE (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2025. - Text list
- ^ Herman, Dick (March 29, 1964). "Class VI School at Grand Island Bucks National Trend". Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. p. B7. Retrieved September 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Third City Seeks Class VI District". The Hastings Daily Tribune. Hastings, Nebraska. Associated Press. February 26, 1963. p. 11. Retrieved September 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "New School Name Is Northwest Hi". The York Daily News-Times. York, Nebraska. UPI. September 24, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved September 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Goodrich, Ellen (October 19, 2023). "Court cautions against illegal censorship in NE lawsuit dismissal". Student Press Law Center. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Reutter, Harold (September 19, 2014). "Northwest High recognizes alumni achievements at Hall of Fame ceremony". The Grand Island Independent. Retrieved October 2, 2020.