The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Science. The lowest is 33% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Oakland Craig Junior-senior High
Oakland Craig Junior-Senior High serves grades seven through twelve in the small, rural Burt County community of Oakland, a place the city describes as the “Swedish Capital of Nebraska” with a bi-annual Swedish Festival and a handful of long-standing local businesses. The school is part of the Oakland-Craig Public Schools district, which also pulls from the nearby town of Craig. The school’s setting is agricultural and low-density; most residents drive to work, and the town’s population has fluctuated modestly over decades rather than showing sustained growth.
The school is small for its grade band, and the student body is predominantly white with a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races, a small Hispanic population, and a very small number of Black and American Indian or Alaska Native students.
State testing results show a mixed performance picture. In math, proficiency rates were above average for both tested grade levels when compared to state expectations. In science, the tested grade level showed a proficiency rate that was also strong. English language arts scores were more uneven: one tested grade level returned a proficiency rate well below typical expectations, while the other grade level was substantially stronger. This puts the school’s overall proficiency index in the bottom quartile relative to the other districts within Burt County. A parent may want to follow up with the school about ELA instruction, particularly for the lower-performing grade, to understand how the school addresses the gap across the middle and high school years.
Data on several other quality-of-school indicators was not available. No graduation rate was reported for this entity in the data we received. Chronic absenteeism data and discipline data were also absent. No information on staffing ratios, course access, or specific program offerings—such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career and technical education pathways—was found. The district brief turned up no parent-relevant changes or strategic priorities. Because of these gaps, a family considering Oakland Craig Junior-Senior High would want to ask directly about college and career counseling, the breadth of the high school course catalog, and how the school supports students who need extra help.
Housing in the area is modestly priced relative to national benchmarks, and homeownership rates are above the national average, which is consistent with a stable rural community where most families own their homes. The town itself offers a few civic anchors, including a large city park along Logan Creek, an 18-hole golf course that draws members from a wide area, and the Swedish Heritage Center. Employment is distributed across construction, retail trade, and health care and social assistance, with no single large employer dominating.
For a family that values a very small school environment in a tight-knit rural community, Oakland Craig Junior-Senior High offers that setting. The academic data is a mixed bag: math and science scores were generally solid in the grade levels tested, but the ELA results varied sharply by grade, and the overall proficiency composite sits at the low end among the small group of Burt County districts. The absence of graduation rate and program data means a family would need to gather more information directly from the school to assess the full high school experience and post-secondary readiness support.
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