Northwest High School (Grand Island, Nebraska)

Northwest High School
Address
Map
2710 North North Road

Grand Island
,
(Hall County)
,
Nebraska
68803

United States
Information
TypePublic high school
PrincipalP.J. Smith
Staff51.10 (FTE)[1]
Enrollment703[1] (2022-23)
Student to teacher ratio13.76[1]
Color(s)Black, Vegas gold and white
      [2]
Athletics conferenceCentral 10 Conference[2]
NicknameVikings[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]

History

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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.[9] The new school was forecast to immediately serve 200 students.[10] 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.[11]

In 2019 the show choir director for the past few years, David Sackschewsky was arrested for embezzling money from the show choir's account. Over $200,000 was the estimated amount funneled out of the account between 2014 and 2019. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and has to pay back $150,000 of the $200,000 he stole.

In 2020 an English teacher working at Northwest, Brian Mohr and a student, Max Rookstool, was arrested for possession of child pornography. Rookstool also had additional charges: Two counts of human trafficking, Two counts of Human trafficking of a minor, First-degree sexual assault, 11 counts of “Visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct”, Unlawful distribution of images or videos of another person's intimate area. Mohr was charged with 11 counts of possession of child pornography. They both have sentences in federal prison and will be registered as sex offenders.

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'."[12]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Northwest High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Northwest High School". Nebraska School Activities Association. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Hager, Cassandra. "Northwest High School Celebrates 50 Years in Grand Island". www.1011now.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  4. ^ "AdvancED - Institution Summary". Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  5. ^ "District Information". Northwest Public Schools. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  6. ^ "NSAA Home". nsaahome.org. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "2015-2016 NSAA School Membership" (PDF). Nebraska School Activities Association. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "2015-16 NSAA Member Schools & Conferences" (PDF). Nebraska School Activities Association. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ Goodrich, Ellen (October 19, 2023). "Court cautions against illegal censorship in NE lawsuit dismissal". Student Press Law Center. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Reutter, Harold (September 19, 2014). "Northwest High recognizes alumni achievements at Hall of Fame ceremony". The Grand Island Independent. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
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40°57′08″N 98°23′55″W / 40.952163°N 98.398605°W / 40.952163; -98.398605

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