Nebraska Town Breaks Ground on New High School

A groundbreaking ceremony was held this week for a new high school in Boys Town, Neb. The three-story, 110,000-square-foot facility will stand on the site of the small town’s previous high school, which was built in 1948 and was recently demolished to make room for construction. The project comes with a budget of $30 million and is currently scheduled for completion in August 2023.

“This school will serve as our incubator for educational concepts that we will teach to over 500 schools a year, including many right here in Nebraska,” said Father Steven Boes, Boys Town’s national executive director.

The facility will have the capacity for the district’s estimated 350 high-school students. About 80% of students arrive at the school with distinct academic deficiencies or behavior challenges, said a Boys Town spokeswoman, but 97% proceed to graduate from high school or continue their education.

According to local news sources, the village of Boys Town was founded in 1917 by the Rev. Edward J. Flanagan. Also known as “Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home,” the town is dedicated to the treatment, care, and education of at-risk children.

“This new education center will help Boys Town continue to provide a safe and inspiring learning experience for our students,” said Boes. “We continue to make improvements on our campus as the needs of our children change.”

According to the Boys Town website, the Boys Town Education Center will feature amenities like science labs, state-of-the-art technology, adaptive indoor and outdoor classroom environments, a Maker’s Space, a multilevel media center, common spaces, a quiet gathering space for prayer and meditation, and centralized offices for administration and the behavioral intervention team.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Georgia State University Opens New Research Tower

    Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, nine-story, 155,000-square-foot Research Tower, according to university news. Amenities include academic classrooms, a large lecture space, teaching labs, faculty research space, and the uppermost floors reserved for future expansion.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.