Bearcat History

KEARNEY HIGH BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT HISTORY

Longfellow High School 1890-1960
Kearney High School 1960-2016
Kearney High School 2016-Present

HISTORY OF THE BEARCATS

Kearney High School has 1650+ students (9-12) and 105 faculty members. KHS was one of the first Nebraska schools to be recognized as an "Outstanding Secondary School" by the U.S. Department of Education (1983). KHS students consistently score above the state and national averages on the ACT test.

KHS is a comprehensive high school with academic programs that feature honors level and AP courses. KHS offers a full vocational program. The construction technology class has built 35 houses. Over the last 10 years, KHS is 4th in state championships of the 28 Class A schools (NSAA). Our music programs, forensics teams, and vocational clubs consistently place high in their various competitive state events and place students in national level competitions. Our student council has won the "outstanding" state award many times. Also, Kearney High School is piloting an English III Hybrid course in which all students receive iPads and work in a more collaborative setting with an emphasis on project-based learning. This course is the first of its kind in the State of Nebraska.

The mission of Kearney High is to "Inspire & empower students to impact the world". The staff and students live this mission on a daily basis! We are proud of our tradition of excellence. We live by our Motto: "Better Together" and "#BeKind"

According to an article in the November 7, 1923 edition of the Kearney Hub, Kearney High students chose Bearcats as the official school mascot. According to the Hub article, "the voting took place last week, and the vote showed that there was a great difference of opinion as to the name which best suited the school. The four names voted upon were Bearcats, Buffaloes, Wolverines, and Kubs." The final tally of votes according to the Hub article was as follows: Bearcats (206), Buffaloes (138), Wolverines (92), and Kubs (51). The article goes on to state, "Each homeroom carried on its own voting through its officers. Speeches were made by pupils in many of the homerooms, in which the merits of the various names were discussed. The speeches help to make the pupils understand what they were voting for, and the importance of their selection."

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Kearney High competes in the Class A division in the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA). The school has won many state team championships, including the following: