About our School

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The history of Walnut Middle School 

Walnut Middle School stands at 1600 North Custer Avenue in Grand Island, Nebraska. Our school is home to 830 students, grades 6 through 8. Our school also houses the Alternative Middle School.

 

The first Walnut Junior High School stood at 10th and Walnut streets in Grand Island.

The first public school in Grand Island housed all grades from kindergarten through 12th grade.

In 1922, educational philosophy changed to the junior high concept. Overcrowding brought about the building of new schools at the elementary, junior high, and senior high levels. A new senior high was built at Fifth and Elm streets in 1925. The first Walnut Junior High was built at 10th and Walnut (on the site of today's Howard Elementary) about that same time.

The second Walnut Junior High School stood at 5th and Elm Streets.

When a new high school was built in 1955, the old high school became the new Walnut Junior High.
The third Walnut Junior High School was completed at 1600 North Custer Avenue in 1984.Walnut became a middle school in the 1997-1998 school year. 

In 1976 land was purchased on North Custer Avenue for the building of a new Walnut Junior High. In 1981 a
bond issue passed and construction began the following year. The new building was open, in use, and dedicated in
the fall of 1984.

In the 1997-1998 school year, the Grand Island District officially adopted the middle school concept in place of the junior high philosophy. Walnut Junior High became Walnut Middle School.

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Walnut's Principals  

Principal's Name	Dates
Howard J. Finley	1925-1958
Frank Haack	1958-1958
Dwaine Ehrlich	1958-1960
George Bailey	1960-1963
Burt Alfrey	1963-1964
Philip Harvey	1964-1986
Bill Bucher	1986-1990
Vikki Deuel	1990-2008