About Neligh-Oakdale

The Neligh-Oakdale Schools serve the youth of Neligh, Oakdale, and the rural areas that make up District Number Nine, Antelope County. The school district encompasses 132 square miles. Classes average 25 students per grade. In the 2021-2022 school year, 379 students were enrolled in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. The projected census reflects a fairly consistent student population over the next few years. The elementary grades are housed in two buildings. Grades PK-2 attend the Westward facility located on the west side of Neligh. Grades 3-6 classrooms are located on the first floor of the junior-senior high building. The high school and junior high facilities consist of a four-building complex. The high school offers a comprehensive curriculum and a full slate of extra-curricular activities as well. Neligh-Oakdale offers over 600 instructional units which gives our students a wide variety of educational opportunities. Roughly, 62% of our graduates leave us with college credit earned through on-line courses, dual credit offerings, and/or Fridays at Northeast classes. Several new  laptops and i-pads have been purchased in the last year to support the district’s 1:1 initiative and extra offerings in the discipline of technology.  Neligh-Oakdale provides a pre-school that serves students ages 3 and 4 with approximately 45 students. 

The school buildings reside in the community of Neligh, a town with a population of approximately 1500. Neligh is located on U.S. Highway 275 between Norfolk and O’Neill, about 35 minutes from both. There are many professional occupations and services in Neligh. The community has a hospital and two medical clinics. A dental office, eye doctor, lawyers, two pharmacies, chiropractor, several manufacturing operations, multiple agricultural operations, and many small businesses call Neligh home as well. Neligh operates the only Drive-In movie theater in the state of Nebraska. Another unique feature of the community is having the Educational Service Unit # 8 located in Neligh. This is a huge advantage for the staff of Neligh-Oakdale to attend professional growth opportunities and for the students of Neligh-Oakdale to receive special services such as OT, PT, Speech, and individualized special education services at the Central Learning Center. Twenty-one percent of the Neligh-Oakdale student population receives special education services and 43 percent of the student body receives either free or reduced lunches. Since both our special education and free and reduced lunch numbers are at or above the state average, Neligh-Oakdale employs four special education teachers and two title teachers to meet the needs of this population. In 2011-2012, then Neligh-Oakdale Superintendent, Kimberly Lingenfelter, initiated Neligh-Oakdale to move from a targeted assist title school to a school wide title. This has allowed more students needing math and reading interventions to be served.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Neligh-Oakdale School District is to provide an environment where all students will acquire the skills to become lifelong learners and productive citizens in a diverse, technologically changing global society. 

Upon graduation from Neligh-Oakdale Public School, the student will be able to:

  • Accept responsibility for his/her actions and exhibit self-control and self-discipline.

  • Nurture his/her own physical, mental, and emotional wellness.

  • Develop an awareness of and appreciation for our multicultural global society.

  • Acquire the knowledge for a practical application or progressive growth in technology.

  • Through a diverse curriculum, acquire and build upon a basic foundation, to continue formal education, to make a successful transition into the world of work, and continue to learn throughout their lives.

The mission of the Neligh-Oakdale Public School is "To provide an environment where all students will acquire the skills to become lifelong learners and productive citizens in a diverse, technologically changing global society." The district's mission/vision statement was developed through a collaborative process involving a variety of stakeholders. During the 2001 school year, the district steering committee gathered a variety of stakeholders to jointly develop the district vision. Input was gathered from a variety of perspectives. During the 2003 school year the district mission/vision statement was reviewed by a new group of stakeholders and changes were made to better reflect student data analysis. School improvement goals and action plans were developed from the data and are reflective of the district's mission. During the 2010 school year the mission/vision statement was reviewed again by a new group of stakeholders to become more user friendly. Key words were looked at within the entire mission statement and presented in a way that all stakeholders could remember and recite. The statement that is now posted in every classroom reads; "Lifelong learners in a changing world/society." Elementary students use the term world, while secondary students use the term society, when reciting the mission.