A third high school in Kearney?

[LooseCannon]

I know Kearney Public Schools just built their new facility, but Kearney is growing at a pretty good rate. 2000 census showed 27,431 population, 2010 was 30,787 and the 2020 estimate looks to be close to 33,000. Will we see another public high school in the city of Kearney by 2030? If you vote explain why you think yes or no.

Cities smaller than Kearney have three high schools

Norfolk: (Norfolk High, Catholic and LHNE)
Columbus: (Columbus High, Columbus Scotus, Lakeview)
Hastings: (Hastings High, HSC, Adams Central)

 

[goskers07]

I dont see it happening. When they were in the old school the discussion was to open a second public school or a bigger version of the current. It may yet happen in the future, but it won't be by 2030.

 

[TC53]

Columbus, Grand Island, and Hastings have an extra public school because of the 1960s doughnut schools. School law and circumstances combined to form GINW, AC, and Lakeview. I don't see that ever repeating now that the Class 1's are all affiliated already.

All of those communities have nearby C and D-sized small-town school options close enough to draw kids just looking for a small school. I don't think you'll see any movement there that would produce a new school.

GI is the only one big enough to split into two high schools, ala Bellevue, but the community has rejected that in several forms. Probably the closest they came (and it wasn't close) was the discussion of just splitting the high school building into 9-10 and 11-12 schools. I don't think there is any appetite for GI North and GI South. (I suppose Kearney could get to that stage in half a century and might make a different decision.)

That leaves the desire for a protestant private school option like Heartland Lutheran. Keep an eye on the number of non-Catholics at Kearney Catholic. If that grows you might see movement for a Kearney Lutheran or Kearney Christian. I don't know the church scene in Kearney well enough to guess which is more likely.

 

[clktwr]

Columbus, Grand Island, and Hastings have an extra public school because of the 1960s doughnut schools. School law and circumstances combined to form GINW, AC, and Lakeview. I don't see that ever repeating now that the Class 1's are all affiliated already.

All of those communities have nearby C and D-sized small-town school options close enough to draw kids just looking for a small school. I don't think you'll see any movement there that would produce a new school.

GI is the only one big enough to split into two high schools, ala Bellevue, but the community has rejected that in several forms. Probably the closest they came (and it wasn't close) was the discussion of just splitting the high school building into 9-10 and 11-12 schools. I don't think there is any appetite for GI North and GI South. (I suppose Kearney could get to that stage in half a century and might make a different decision.)

That leaves the desire for a protestant private school option like Heartland Lutheran. Keep an eye on the number of non-Catholics at Kearney Catholic. If that grows you might see movement for a Kearney Lutheran or Kearney Christian. I don't know the church scene in Kearney well enough to guess which is more likely.

I agree with your assessment. Adams Central and Lakeview resemble consolidations. I don't see that happening in Kearney.

 

[TC53]

I didn't think of it before but Kearney has had three high schools before.

Kearney Military and Kearny A.O. Thomas (the college's prep school) were open along with Kearney High until 1923. Military closed in 1923, and A.O. Thomas shut down in 1940, so Kearney had just one school until Kearney Catholic opened in 1961.

But that ignores the high school at YRTC, West Kearney, which is still open and accredited today but hasn't competed in athletics since the late 60s or early 70s. Not sure I know the exact date. West Kearney played Kearney Catholic in football in the 1960s. West was actually the bigger school, playing in Class C basketball districts while KCHS was still in D.

 

[Power_I_82]

I didn't think of it before but Kearney has had three high schools before.

Kearney Military and Kearny A.O. Thomas (the college's prep school) were open along with Kearney High until 1923. Military closed in 1923, and A.O. Thomas shut down in 1940, so Kearney had just one school until Kearney Catholic opened in 1961.

But that ignores the high school at YRTC, West Kearney, which is still open and accredited today but hasn't competed in athletics since the late 60s or early 70s. Not sure I know the exact date. West Kearney played Kearney Catholic in football in the 1960s. West was actually the bigger school, playing in Class C basketball districts while KCHS was still in D.

Cool info. I had never heard that. To be honest I have never thought about what the kids at YRTC do school wise.