The Best Private Schools in Oakland, Nebraska
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Oakland. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
St. Paul's Lutheran School
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
St. Paul's Lutheran School is a highly-regarded private Christian school serving the Oakland area and greater Fremont region. With over 75 years of educational excellence, the school offers a comprehensive Lutheran-based curriculum enhanced with modern STEM education, robust music and arts programs, and competitive athletics. The school maintains small class sizes with a student-teacher ratio of 12:1, ensuring personalized attention. Facilities include modern classrooms, science labs, gymnasium, and dedicated music and art spaces. Parent satisfaction is exceptionally high, with families praising the strong community atmosphere, academic rigor, and faith-based values education.
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Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Archdiocese of Omaha
Guardian Angels Central Catholic serves students from Oakland and surrounding communities across Cuming, Burt, and Dodge counties. This Catholic college preparatory school offers a rigorous academic program with Advanced Placement courses, comprehensive fine arts education, and competitive athletic programs. The school features modern facilities including science laboratories, technology-integrated classrooms, performing arts center, and extensive athletic facilities. With a strong emphasis on character development and community service, GACC consistently achieves high college acceptance rates and maintains excellent parent satisfaction ratings for its balanced approach to academics, faith formation, and extracurricular opportunities.
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St. Francis Borgia Grade School
Archdiocese of Omaha
St. Francis Borgia Grade School provides exceptional Catholic elementary education to families in Oakland and the greater Blair area. The school offers a comprehensive curriculum with strong emphasis on literacy development, mathematics, and STEM integration across all grade levels. The faith-based environment focuses on character development while maintaining high academic standards. Facilities include modern classrooms, computer lab, library, music room, and gymnasium. The school is particularly noted for its strong parent-teacher partnerships, dedicated faculty with low turnover, and well-rounded educational approach that includes music, art, and physical education programs. Families consistently praise the nurturing environment and academic preparation for high school.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Oakland, Nebraska
What are the private school options for families in Oakland, Nebraska, and what grade levels do they serve?
Oakland, Nebraska, is served by a small number of faith-based private schools, reflecting the community's character. The primary options are St. Paul's Lutheran School (typically preschool through 8th grade), Guardian Angels Central Catholic (a consolidated Catholic school serving multiple area towns, including Oakland, for grades 7-12), and St. Francis Borgia Grade School (typically K-6). For a complete K-12 private education, many Oakland families utilize a combination of these schools. It's important to note that Guardian Angels is located in West Point, NE, requiring a commute, which is a common arrangement for secondary education in this rural area.
How does tuition at Oakland-area private schools compare, and are there financial aid options specific to Nebraska?
Tuition at schools like St. Paul's Lutheran and St. Francis Borgia is generally more affordable than urban private schools, often ranging from $2,000 to $4,500 per year for parishioners, with higher rates for non-members. Guardian Angels Central Catholic's tuition is set by the Archdiocese of Omaha. A key Nebraska-specific financial consideration is the **Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG)** and the **Scholarship Grant Program for Students in Nonpublic Schools**, which is a state tax-credit scholarship. Many Oakland-area private school families utilize this program, and schools actively help parents apply. Additionally, local parishes often offer substantial subsidies for active members.
What unique academic or extracurricular programs do private schools in the Oakland, NE, area offer that leverage the local community?
Private schools in the Oakland area emphasize strong core academics with a values-based foundation and often integrate the local agricultural and community-focused environment. Guardian Angels Central Catholic, as a regional school, offers robust agricultural science and FFA programs, directly connecting to Nebraska's farming heritage. Smaller schools like St. Paul's and St. Francis Borgia provide multi-age classrooms and highly individualized attention, with strong community service components tied to local churches and organizations. Athletics often involve cooperative agreements with local public schools, allowing students to participate in a wider range of sports.
What is the typical enrollment timeline and process for private schools in Oakland, Nebraska?
Enrollment timelines in Oakland's private schools are often rolling but have key deadlines for priority placement, typically in early spring (February-March) for the following fall. The process usually involves submitting an application, providing baptismal records (for Catholic schools) or church membership verification (for Lutheran schools), academic records, and often a family interview. For Guardian Angels Central Catholic, which draws from several towns, early application is advised due to limited space. Many families in this tight-knit community recommend connecting directly with the school principal or parish office well in advance, as personal relationships and parish affiliation can be integral parts of the process.
For an Oakland, Nebraska family, what are the main considerations when choosing between the local public school and the available private options?
The decision often centers on educational philosophy, religious formation, and scale. Oakland-Craig Public Schools offer a comprehensive K-12 system in one location with a wide array of extracurriculars. The private school path involves a faith-based education with daily religion classes and liturgy, often in much smaller class sizes (sometimes 10-15 students per grade). A practical consideration is logistics: choosing Guardian Angels for 7-12 grade means a daily commute to West Point. Families must weigh the desire for a specific religious community and intimate learning environment against the convenience and broad programming of the consolidated public school district. Many families value the private schools' ability to seamlessly integrate family, faith, and education in a small-town Nebraska setting.