Original Research by School Decision on Cambridge High School
Cambridge High School is the single high school in the Cambridge Public Schools district, serving grades nine through twelve in the small, agricultural town of Cambridge, Nebraska, in the southwestern part of the state. The school is located on Nelson Street within a town where U.S. Routes 6 and 34 run along Nasby Street. The community is a rural one, with residential neighborhoods, small commercial businesses along the highway corridor, and the surrounding agricultural landscape.
The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet school. With an enrollment that is small for a high school, it provides an intimate setting for its students. The student body is notably homogeneous; nearly all students identify as white. A small number identify as Asian or Hispanic. These demographics reflect the composition of the town itself, which has experienced a modest population decline in recent years. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families face economic challenges.
State testing data for Cambridge High School was not available. This gap could reflect the nature of the school’s grade band or assessment patterns in Nebraska. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how its students perform on state assessments. A graduation rate was also not reported for this school, which is notable given that it is a full-service high school. Prospective families may wish to inquire with the school’s administration about both academic outcomes and graduation rates.
The town of Cambridge provides a number of civic anchors that families can use. McKinley Park offers a municipal swimming pool, a splash pad, playgrounds, sports courts and fields, disc golf, and hiking trails. The park also includes an RV camping facility and a floral arboretum. The Butler Memorial Library and the Cambridge Museum are additional community resources. Outdoor recreation is accessible at Medicine Creek State Recreation Area, located a short distance north of town, which features a lake for boating and fishing. Cross Creek Golf Links is a public eighteen-hole course within the town.
On the economic side, the largest local employers are the Tri Valley Health System, which includes the hospital, medical clinics in neighboring towns, and senior care facilities, and the Cambridge Public Schools district itself. Agriculture and livestock form the broader economic base. The housing market in the area has seen home values that are notably lower than state and national benchmarks, making the town a relatively affordable place to live relative to broader markets. There was no information found on major new housing developments.
The narrative for the high school is constrained by thin data in several key areas. Information on programs offered, such as Advanced Placement, career and technical education, or dual-credit courses, was not available. Similarly, data on staffing, discipline, and chronic absenteeism were missing. These gaps mean that a full academic and operational profile of the school cannot be drawn from the available information. A parent considering Cambridge High School would be best served by a direct conversation with the school to understand its curriculum, student support systems, and recent outcomes.
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