Mead, Nebraska School History

In 1886 a two-story school building designed to accommodate ten grades was built on what is now Mead's present-day city park grounds. In 1904, a furnace was installed. Prior to that, each room was individually heated by its own stove. The school's concrete sidewalks (the first to exist in Mead) were considered an interesting novelty. Students found the walks an ideal surface on which to play jackstones during recess. In 1898 an eleventh grade was added, and the twelfth grade in 1913. Before these expansions, students wishing to attend grades exceeding those offered at Mead, traveled to Fremont or Wahoo. Mead's first annual commencement, honoring five tenth grade graduates, took place in the Swedish Lutheran Church in 1890. The consolidation law of 1915 resulted in the merger of four districts (Adams, Crinklaw, Mead, and Hallner), forming the initial unit of District 72. An acreage on the hill northwest of town became the site for the building of a new school. It was ready for the first term in 1921. At the time it was viewed as the finest school building in Saunders County.

During World War II the Nebraska Ordnance Plant was responsible for a population increase that resulted in the school becoming severely over crowded. The transient nature of the employees at the plant meant many students were in attendance for only a few weeks or months. Despite this period of instability, many believed the community's educators met the challenge with patience and ingenuity and provided a good educational foundation for all their students.


Classroom and students: 1917

Over the years District 72 was enlarged at various times by the addition of all or part of twelve districts. To accommodate this growth, a special election was held in May 1972 which permitted the construction of a new Junior-Senior High School. When it was completed in 1974, the move from the old to the new building was made using voluntary labor and equipment. Students not only carried books and equipment to their new school, but with the guidance of professional landscapers they also contributed to the pleasant appearance of the grounds by doing the work of planting and sodding.

Mead is justifiably noted for its athletic achievements. Memories still linger over the state basketball championships won in 1926, 1932, and 1935. Maintaining its distinctive athletic tradition, the school was declared Class D All Sports Champion in 1972. In 1970, playing eight-man football, the red and white uniformed Raiders were ranked as the best in the state. They repeated this feat in 1987 by winning the Class D-1 State Championship.

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