About GIPS

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The District 

The Grand Island Public Schools,located in Hall County, is a comprehensive school system offering education to students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Students identified with special needs are served through a three-county comprehensive special education cooperative, Central Nebraska Special Services Program (CNSSP). 

The district includes fourteen elementary schools, three middle schools, an alternative middle school, one senior high school, and an alternative high school. Combined, these buildings house over 7,000 students.

Quality education begins with a quality staff. The District is proud of the energy, creativity, commitment, caring, and high standards for professionalism displayed by its staff. The district employs approximately 1,000 staff members. Hiring procedures and annual evaluations maintain quality standards for personnel selection and continuing employment.

Board of Education

 

The nine members of the Board of Education for Grand Island Public Schools are elected in three wards (three board members per ward) by registered voters of the school district. Elections are held every two years. Board of Education members serve four-year terms and receive no compensation for their work. The board is responsible for establishing the policies under which the school system operates. They must also act within the framework of rules set forth by the Nebraska State Board of Education and Nebraska and federal laws. Board members must represent the unique needs of their ward and the community. Current members of the Board of Education include:

Ms. Jennifer Worthington, President

Mr. Terry Brown, Vice President

Ms. Lynn Cronk

Mr. Roger Harms

Ms. Bonnie Hinkle

Ms. Jane Meidlinger

Mr. Clay Schutz

Ms. Heidi Vahle

Ms. Lynne Werner

The Community

Grand Island is located in the south central region of Nebraska's Platte River Valley eight miles north of the intersection of Interstate 80 (east/west) and US Highway 281 (north/south). In addtion to US Highway 281, Nebraska Highway 34, US Highway 30, and US Highway 2 all travel through Grand Island.

A city of approximately 43,000, Grand Island is the economic growth area and the major retail trade area for south central Nebraska. Agriculture and manufacturing lie at the heart of Grand Island's economy. Two major agricultural industries, ConAgra Meat Packing (which ranks first in numbers of employees) and Case New Holland Farm Equipment Manufacturing, serve as anchors. St. Francis Medical Center, third in number of employees, is a regional medical center. Chief Industries and Grand Island Accessories employ area residents in manufacturing industries. Principal Financial Group has a major branch office in Grand Island. The community also provides a wide range of medical, mental health, and nursing home services.

Grand Island has experienced growth in its property tax base. In the past two years 182 single-family homes and 38 multiple units have been constructed. The total valuation increase in those years was $29,670,428.

In addition to the public school system, Grand Island is the home of several parochial schools including Grand Island Central Catholic High School, Heartland Lutheran High School, Trinity Lutheran School, the Seventh Day Adventist School, and Grand Island Christian Elementary School (K-8). Northwest High School, a Class VI facility, is located in the northwest portion of Grand Island. It is affiliated with surrounding Class I districts.

Although Northwest High School is not a part of the School District of Grand Island, it does serve as the attendance center for a large percentage of Westridge Middle School students as they leave the middle school to begin their high school education. As per the terms of an annexation agreement, the District pays tuition for those students who choose to attend Northwest. The agreement began with the 1984-1985 school year and will expire in the 2003-2004 school year.

The community's higher education needs are provided by Central Community and College Park. Hastings College is located 24 miles south of Grand Island and the University of Nebraska at Kearney is located 47 miles west of the city.

In 1993, the community passed a $28.6 million bond issue that funded construction of a replacement for West Lawn Elementary School and provided for additions and renovations to Grand Island Senior High School and five other schools. In 1996, the community approved a $3.49 million bond issue to build a replacement for Lincoln Elementary School.

Students began attending a new Wasmer Elementary School in August 2000, constructed for $4.1 million from the school district's special building fund. A nine-classroom addition to Dodge Elementary School costing approximately $1 million was completed in 2005. A five-classroom addition to Howard Elementary School that cost approximately $500,000 was also completed in 2005.

In September 2005, voters approved a $19.95 million bond issue to construct a new Westridge Middle School and to add classrooms at Barr and Walnut Middle Schools.

A number of mentoring programs are operated and funded outside of the school district. These include Teammates, Youth Leadership Tomorrow, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and a Guest Teacher Program.

The Chamber of Commerce promotes Business/Education Partnerships with the school district, sponsoring Adopt-A-School, a New Teachers' Breakfast, and a welcoming event for staff in the fall.

Among the many services offered in Grand Island are churches, Grand Island Little Theater, Stuhr Museum, Fonner Park Race Track, St. Francis Medical Center, the YMCA, the YWCA, Island Oasis Water Park, parks, and recreational areas. Community members find golf, fishing, walking/hiking, swimming, skating, tennis, bowling, and movie theaters also available for leisure time activities.