The Village of Firth is part of the Norris School District. The Norris School District is a Class III School District located just south of Lincoln, Nebraska in Southern Lancaster County and Northern Gage Counties. The district covers approximately 200 square miles. The communities of Cortland, Firth, Hickman, Holland, Panama, Princeton and Roca as well as a number of acreage communities comprise the school district. According to a demographic study completed for the district, the enrollment of the district should continue to increase.
The School facilities are located near the geographic center of the school district. The school site is approximately four miles south of Hickman. All students are eligible for school bus transportation. The school district is accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education and a member of the North Central Association. With all facilities being located at one site, Norris is a financially efficient and highly proficient educational school district.
Facilities include two classroom buildings. The elementary building is a pre-K-5 building and the secondary building 6-12 divided into two administrative units (Middle School 6-8 and High School 9-12). Several teachers and facilities are shared between the Middle School and High School. Three gymnasiums, and state of the art auditorium, as well as other excellent facilities for fine and performing arts allow Norris students to participate in quality curricular and extra-curricular programs. All educational facilities are air-conditioned.
The school system is networked for computers and television. All teaching stations have telephones to improve communications. Internet will be available at all teaching stations. A new industrial teaching lab has greatly enhanced opportunities for secondary students.
An all-weather track is located around the football field which is maintained with an underground sprinkler system. In addition to classroom facilities there is a bus maintenance building, storage building and physical education and athletic fields. All facilities are located on a 160 acre track near the geographic center of the district. This location is 25211 South 68th Street which is approximately two miles North West of Firth.
The staff includes five administrators, a part-time education director, ninety-one other professional staff positions, appropriate clerical and bookkeeping support, a superintendent of building and grounds, a transportation supervisor, a food service director, with additional para- professional and other support personnel. At the present time the district runs twenty-one bus routes.
The district was established in 1964 and has had six superintendents. The prior superintendent, Dr. Dennis Nosal, retired at the end of the 1996-1997 school year after 27 years in the district. As of fall of 1997, Dr. Roy Baker took on the position of superintendent of the Norris School District. Norris has gained a reputation as being an excellent school system in these few short years. Each year since 1983, Norris has had at least one and as many as three four-year regent scholarships to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
The Norris community has proudly supported its school system over the past years and this support is shown by the multitude of successful bond issues which has been passed on their first submittal to the voters. The nearness of Lincoln, NE has added to the cultural, educational, social and religious opportunities for both staff and students.
Page last updated on 02/10/99