Nebraska Public School Advantage News

Nebraska Public School Advantage News

Behind the Scenes of a Reunification Drill: Our day in Grand Island

Behind the Scenes of a Reunification Drill: Our day in Grand Island

March 20, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren Five miles separate Seedling Mile Elementary and Grand Island Senior High, a 10-minute bus ride that Lee Jacobsen used for one final rundown before the district held a large-scale school reunification drill. The first of its kind for GIPS, the drill was a carefully coordinated practicum, a live-action stress test of a five-year safety evolution. As an intruder moved through the...Read More

12 Acres of Opportunity: Field research conducted by Wilber-Clatonia students finds its way to publication

12 Acres of Opportunity: Field research conducted by Wilber-Clatonia students finds its way to publication

March 18, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren Cara Holtorf gives a top-notch tour of Wilber-Clatonia’s Lambert Zoubek Agriculture Science Center, a facility that houses everything from an industrial kitchen to a walk-in freezer to a state-of-the-art greenhouse. There’s rabbits, chickens, sheep, a few goats and other barnyard animals, too. Then the agriculture teacher and FFA adviser opens a door and looks to the south. It’s...Read More

The House the Bluejays Built: Construction class’s project concludes on a "great day to move a house”

The House the Bluejays Built: Construction class’s project concludes on a "great day to move a house”

March 11, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren The breakfast crowd at Cheri-O’s in downtown Ashland was in high spirits Monday morning. The charming corner do-it-all diner pulsed with all the usual cafe sounds–the clanging of plates, laughs shared between old timers and old friends and “How do you do’s” from the regulars. Maybe the unseasonably warm weather was responsible for the good vibes. Perhaps hometown hero and...Read More

The Open Door Strategy: Security, infrastructure improvements sought as Norris holds Media Day ahead of May bond issue vote

The Open Door Strategy: Security, infrastructure improvements sought as Norris holds Media Day ahead of May bond issue vote

March 10, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren Norris School District 160 superintendent Dr. Derrick Joel greeted media members and stakeholders at the door the morning of Friday, Feb. 27, leading the group to a conference room adorned with blue prints and handouts. The highly-regarded district 25 miles south of Lincoln is proposing a $34.8 million, 20-year bond issue to update infrastructure and to bring their three...Read More

Like a Cup of Coffee with a Good Friend: UNK’s ‘Super Lopers’ are always there for each other

Like a Cup of Coffee with a Good Friend: UNK’s ‘Super Lopers’ are always there for each other

March 6, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren It’s 2:00 on a Thursday, time to log on for another Zoom call. For the superintendent of a school district, life can feel like one virtual meeting after another. The days are busy enough already, but this particular Zoom doesn’t elicit a roll of the eyes. For the Super Lopers, it’s quite the opposite, actually. “I would equate our meetings to having a cup of coffee with a good...Read More

Guest Spotlight: GISH Celebrates first-ever Seal of Biliteracy student recipients

Guest Spotlight: GISH Celebrates first-ever Seal of Biliteracy student recipients

March 6, 2026
By Kelli Mayhew, Grand Island Public Schools The hard work of 10 students at Grand Island Senior High helped them make school history – along with setting their academic resume apart from their peers. Ten GISH students have officially earned the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy. For the first time in the school's history, the first in the Grand Island Public Schools district to do so. The prestigious...Read More

From Concept to Catalyst: Following up with the FindU team

From Concept to Catalyst: Following up with the FindU team

March 2, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren When we first introduced Kenny Morales, Wilson Overfield, and Tatum Terwilliger in early August, their startup, FindU, was a high-potential "what if." The brainchild of Morales and Overfield, a pair of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management students, the app aimed to revolutionize the college search process by bringing a Tinder-style "...Read More

The Heart of Schuyler: Student entrepreneurs bring local hospital’s gift shop back to life

The Heart of Schuyler: Student entrepreneurs bring local hospital’s gift shop back to life

February 18, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren The small retail space near the head of the lobby of CHI Health Schuyler has sat mostly vacant for a handful of years, its bare shelves collecting not much more than sunlight and dust. To most passersby, the room looked exactly like what it was. Grant Torpin, however, saw more than a vacant hospital gift shop. The Schuyler Central High School business teacher saw an opportunity...Read More

Bring Your Muck Boots: Cross County ag students see an embryo implanted at their own livestock facility

Bring Your Muck Boots: Cross County ag students see an embryo implanted at their own livestock facility

February 13, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren On the north edge of Stromsburg, just beyond the hum of classrooms and busy hallways, six cattle roam a pen and try their best to ignore the Cross County students sent to corral them. Inside the nearby shop, it’s all the usual hustle and bustle. One of the top agriculture programs in the state, they move fast in here. Superintendent Brent Hollinger points to the spot where a...Read More

Prime Time for a Winter Recharge: ESU 4’s Engaging Educators draws hundreds to Nebraska City

Prime Time for a Winter Recharge: ESU 4’s Engaging Educators draws hundreds to Nebraska City

February 9, 2026
By Tyler Dahlgren The parking lot of Nebraska City High School was full and droves of educators, nearly 700 in total, flocked to ESU 4’s Engaging Educators Conference last Monday. They came from all directions, hoofing it down Central Ave before climbing a set of steps and entering the school, where they were met with an undeniable buzz. This conference, which NPSA has featured and presented at...Read More

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