2025 Review and 2026 Preview

December 18, 2025

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Hemingford Public Schools

2025 Review & 2026 Preview

Honoring Achievement. Building for the Future.

Hemingford Public Schools continues to be defined by a strong sense of pride, community support, and a commitment to providing meaningful opportunities for every student. As we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we are grateful for the students, staff, families, and community members who make our school district such a special place.

Looking Back: Highlights from 2025

Student Achievement & Activities

The 2025 calendar year was marked by outstanding student accomplishments across academics, activities, and athletics. Our students represented Hemingford with pride at the state level in a wide range of programs, including:

• Speech
• Wrestling
• All-State Band
• Golf
• FFA
• Cross Country
• Track & Field
• One-Act Play
• Football

These achievements reflect the dedication of our students, the commitment of our coaches, sponsors, and advisors, and the support of families and community members who consistently show up for our Bobcats.

School Improvement & Accreditation

In 2025, Hemingford Public Schools hosted a Nebraska accreditation external review, a required process that occurs once every five years. The visiting team recognized the district for intentional progress and a strong sense of purpose and community pride. The feedback affirmed that our ongoing focus on continuous improvement, student-centered learning, and collaboration is making a positive difference for students.  The full report of the accreditation review is available here:  Hemingford External Review Report 2025-2026. Additional information about all Nebraska school districts is available on the Nebraska Education Profile. 

Putting Students First

In 2025, the school district invested in training and the purchase of academic intervention materials to support learning in math and English Language Arts. The district also invested in curricular materials as part of ongoing efforts to provide quality opportunities for students to learn, develop, and practice the skills necessary for success through the CharacterStrong program.  The school district added additional counseling capacity to serve our students and brought the following presentations to our student body:

• Dr. Mark Adler - RA13 #BeKind
• Jay Martin - Nebraska School Safety and Security Director
• Mike Donahue - Value Up 

Strategic Focus

Throughout 2025, the district continued to align daily work with the Board of Education’s long-term strategic plan. Efforts remained focused on:

• Student learning and engagement
• Staff growth and support
• Facilities planning
• Communication and community engagement

Staff continue to engage in professional development with staff members earning graduate degrees, obtaining additional certifications, and engaging in ongoing professional learning.  

Collectively, these priorities guided decision-making and set the stage for future growth.

A few highlights academically from the 2025 testing season include 93% of 5th grade students earning proficient or advanced scores on the state science assessment (13% above the state average of 80%), 70% of students in the elementary earning proficient or advanced on the state English Language Arts assessments (11% above the state average of 59%), 67% of high school juniors earning the state proficiency benchmark in English on the ACT (24% above the state average of 43%), and 57% of high school juniors earning the state proficiency benchmark in Math on the ACT (16% above the state average of 41%).    The elementary school continued a long tradition of earning the designation of “Great” on the state accountability system, with the high school earning an “Excellent” designation for the first time since the inception of the current accountability system.  

Career and College Readiness

The school district made significant gains in preparing students for careers and college readiness.  

In the spring of 2025, our counselors hosted a college and career fair that included 21 employers and 13 post-secondary institutions.  Students had the opportunity to make connections with prospective employers for summer jobs, work-study opportunities, and future career opportunities.  Students also had the opportunity to engage with representatives of post-secondary institutions as they considered plans for military enlistment, trade school, college, or university scholarship. 

Planning is in progress for the 2026 college and career fair, which is scheduled for February 26th, 2026, from 9am-2pm. Employers who are interested in attending can reach out to Mrs. Bridget Johnston at the school to learn about the program for the coming year.

During 2025, the business educators at Hemingford Public Schools initiated a Bobcat Brand business education initiative to start and operate an educational student-led school-based business.  Start-up costs were supported by Perkins grant funding and Nebraska Career and Technical Education grant funding.  The Bobcat Brew coffee shop engaged in a soft opening to staff during the final week of 2025 and is looking to be open to students and staff beginning in January 2026 (we preserve a sales tax exemption by serving internally at the school, rather than to the general public). 

Looking Ahead: A Preview of 2026

Facilities Planning & Future Growth

In 2026, Hemingford Public Schools will take an important step forward in partnership with the Nebraska Educational Building Association (NEBA) to advance school facilities improvements.  This work is intended to:

• Address the most critical and time-sensitive facility needs
• Improve learning spaces for students
• Support long-term educational programming
• Align with responsible financial planning

Specifically, this partnership will allow the school district to replace the modulars with permanent classrooms, add an elevator and second stairwell to the elementary school, connect the elementary and high school gyms with a physical education classroom, and expand the agricultural education building with an addition.  

While this represents a significant milestone, it is also part of a long-range facilities master plan that will continue to be refined in the coming years.  

Continued Commitment to Students

Looking ahead, the district remains focused on providing students with:

• Strong academic foundations
• Opportunities in activities, athletics, and career exploration
• Supportive relationships with caring adults
• Preparation for college, careers, and life beyond graduation

During the Fall of 2026, Hemingford Public Schools will host the Western Nebraska School Mental Health Conference.  We look forward to the opportunity to connect with other professionals as we focus on quality practices to support student and staff wellbeing, in alignment with our strategic plan.  

2026 will bring continued refinement of our efforts with the CharacterStrong program, including transitioning initial instruction to the regular classroom setting to provide universal programming widely understood by students and instructional staff.  

We are committed to ensuring that every student who leaves Hemingford Public Schools has the opportunity to pursue their goals and continue growing.

Gratitude & Community Partnership

None of this work happens alone. Hemingford Public Schools is deeply grateful for:

• Our students, who represent our school with pride
• Our staff, whose dedication goes far beyond the school day
• Our families, who partner with us every step of the way
• Our community, whose support strengthens our schools and our future

As we move into 2026, we look forward to continuing this work together as we celebrate success, thoughtfully face challenges, and keep students at the center of every decision.  

As always, Get Up Bobcat Nation!