
Grand Island Senior High School
Grades and ages
Grades 9-12
Enrollment
2670 students
Students per teacher
16 per full-time teacher
Tuition
Contact for pricing
About Grand Island Senior High School
Grand Island Senior High School is the flagship public high school of Grand Island Public Schools, situated at 2124 North Lafayette Avenue in Grand Island. Serving approximately three thousand students in grades nine through twelve, GISH is one of Nebraska's largest high schools, celebrated for its wall-to-wall career academy model that connects classroom learning directly to post-secondary degrees and skilled professions.
All incoming ninth graders participate in the Academy of Freshman Exploration to examine career interests before declaring a specialized academy for grades ten through twelve: Medical Sciences and Education, Business and Communication, Technical Sciences, or Engineering and Technology. Advanced coursework includes Advanced Placement (AP) classes and extensive dual-credit partnerships with Central Community College. Technical courses utilize cutting-edge shop and lab facilities at the nearby Career Pathways Institute (CPI). Students compete in NSAA Class A athletics as the Grand Island Islanders, alongside award-winning show choir, marching band, theater, and speech. Comprehensive special education programming provides individualized education programs (IEPs), co-taught classrooms, life skills training, and vocational transition support.
Student fit
Who this school serves
Grades and ages
- High School
- High School (9-12)
Specialties
- Public secondary education
- Academies of Grand Island Senior High
- Career Pathways Institute partnership
- Islander athletics and performing arts
Learning and support
Curriculum and therapeutic services
Services and supports
- Freshman Exploration Academy
- Medical Sciences & Education Academy
- Technical Sciences & Engineering Academy
- Special Education Transition Services
Programs
Programs at Grand Island Senior High School
Other programs and supports
- Freshman Exploration Academy
- Medical Sciences & Education Academy
- Technical Sciences & Engineering Academy
- Special Education Transition Services
School facts
Practical details for families
- Students per Teacher
- 16 per full-time teacher
- Students with IEPs
- 418 (17% of students)
- Students with 504 Plans
- 26
Tuition and funding
Tuition: Contact for pricing
- Public district school
- Free public education
Enrollment
2,670 students
Visit us
Location and directions
Map
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Grand Island Senior High School
What grade levels attend Grand Island Senior High School?
GISH serves high school students in grades 9 through 12.
How does the academy model operate at GISH?
Freshmen start in the Academy of Freshman Exploration, then select one of four career academies (Medical Sciences & Education, Business & Communication, Technical Sciences, or Engineering & Technology) for their remaining years.
What vocational facilities do students use?
Technical sciences and engineering pathways utilize hands-on industrial labs, automotive bays, and precision fabrication equipment at the Career Pathways Institute (CPI).
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Other Schools in Grand Island, NE
Career Pathways Institute
Career Pathways Institute is the off-site career academy campus of Grand Island Public Schools, and it houses two of the five Academies of Grand Island Senior High: the Academy of Engineering and Technology and the Academy of Technical Sciences. Students come to CPI as Grand Island Senior High students after a ninth-grade year in the Academy of Freshman Exploration, and classes here run on the same block schedule as the main high school. The Academy of Technical Sciences offers pathways in Automotive and Diesel, Construction, and Manufacturing. Every pathway includes dual credit courses for juniors and seniors through Central Community College, and students can earn industry certifications from NIMS, OSHA and Snap-on. Local businesses partner with us on U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeships, internships and job shadowing. Engineering and Technology students choose Engineering or Architecture and also have internship and job shadow options. Meals come at no cost through the high school's Community Eligibility Provision, and the district serves students with disabilities through IEPs in every building. The district Welcome Center is also on site at Door 16.
Gates Elementary School
Gates Elementary, home of the Gators, has served Grand Island families since November 1955, when the building opened with five classrooms for kindergarten through fourth grade. Additions over the decades grew it to twenty classrooms with a gymnasium, media center and music room, and in 1982 we became a site for district special education classrooms. Today about 303 students in kindergarten through fifth grade learn with 20 teachers, in two or three classrooms per grade. We host two Grand Island Public Schools programs: the ELL Newcomers program for students new to English, based here since 2006, and the Educational and Life Skills program, added in 2013. A full-time ELL specialist, a social worker and a learning facilitator work alongside classroom teachers, and special education services follow each student's IEP. All students take library, music, P.E. and Social Emotional Creative Arts, and our K-5 math curriculum moves to Eureka Math Squared in 2026-27. Every student eats free through the Community Eligibility Provision. An active PTA buys equipment, sends volunteers into classrooms and hosts family events through the year.
Head Start Child & Family Development Program
Head Start Child & Family Development Program, Inc. is a regional non-profit early childhood education agency based in Grand Island, serving children and families across Hall, Hamilton, Howard, and Merrick counties. The organization provides high-quality, comprehensive early education and family support funded through federal grants at no cost to qualifying families. Programming spans Early Head Start (infants and toddlers ages birth to 3), Head Start pre-kindergarten (ages 3 to 5), dedicated early intervention and inclusive services for children with identified disabilities from birth through five, and prenatal education for expectant mothers. Additionally, the agency administers Title I Part C Migrant Education services for children ages 3 to 21 from migrant agricultural backgrounds. Services incorporate early literacy, cognitive and social skills, health and dental screenings, nutritious meals, and parent education.