The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on High School at Tekamah
High School at Tekamah is a regular public school serving grades seven through twelve in Tekamah, Nebraska, the county seat of Burt County. It belongs to the Tekamah-Herman Community Schools district. The school is small for its grade band, with an enrollment that puts it in the compact range of rural Nebraska secondary schools. The student body is overwhelmingly White, and roughly a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is common in rural communities with modest household incomes.
State assessment results are the central fact a parent will encounter first, and they require a careful read. For the most recent testing year, the school reported proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science that were at the floor level for the grades tested (seventh and eighth). Looked at alone, those numbers paint a stark picture. But the multi-year trend data that precedes the most recent year tells a different story. In the earlier period covered by that trend, the school showed proficiency rates in ELA and math that were well into the majority range, and in science it reached a strong majority. The recent collapse to zero is a sharp departure. The data does not say whether this reflects a change in the test itself, a shift in the student cohort, or some other factor. A parent evaluating this school would want to ask the school administration directly what happened in that testing year and what the current academic picture looks like for students in the tested grades.
When placed among the three districts in Burt County, the school’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. That comparison is based on the same recent-year data. For the high school grades, no state testing results were present in the profile, so how older students perform on state assessments is not captured here. The graduation rate was also not reported in the data available, which is an important gap for any family looking at a school that serves twelfth grade. Similarly, information on programs such as Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, or career and technical education was not found in the profile, so the academic pathway for high school students beyond the core curriculum is not documented in this record.
The community of Tekamah is a small, rural county seat with a historic downtown along 13th Street. It has a Carnegie library, a county courthouse, an auditorium that hosts cultural events, and an annual sweet corn festival. Housing in the area is more affordable than the state and national averages, consistent with a stable population that has seen minimal growth in recent years. The town is compact; street life is modest and tied to civic events rather than continuous pedestrian traffic. No major employers were identified in the search, though government and county services likely anchor the local economy.
The district itself did not have any recent parent-relevant changes reported in the search conducted, such as a bond referendum, curriculum overhaul, or boundary adjustment. That absence may simply mean nothing major has occurred publicly, but a parent should confirm directly with the district office if they are weighing a move.
Taken together, High School at Tekamah presents as a small rural secondary school with a demographic profile typical of the area and a sudden, unexplained drop in its most recent state test scores. The prior trend suggests stronger performance, but without current data or program details, a family would need to pursue their own inquiry with the school to understand what academic experience their child would actually find. The setting is quiet and affordable, suited to those who want a tight-knit school in a town where life revolves around local institutions.
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