North Eugene High School was open to students on October 21, 1957. The opening was delayed nearly two months, causing two months of double-shifting at Colin Kelly Junior High School until the school was finally completed. The current NEHS campus was a filbert orchard belonging to a couple of Scottish ancestry. The couple donated land to Eugene School District 4J for the high school to be built on. The NEHS mascot, "Scottie", the Scotch Terrier, reflects the school's heritage, as do the names of the school newspaper and yearbook. In April 2004 NEHS staff, parents, and community members were approached with information about the Oregon Small Schools Initiative project and grant opportunities. In May 2004, a $900,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was awarded to NEHS to begin this project. After a series of meetings and workshops, the school transformation officially began. In the 2006 academic year, 3 small schools were implemented: North International High School, Academy of Arts, and School of IDEAS: Invention, Design, Engineering, Arts, & Science. As the 2013 academic year commenced, the comprehensive high school model was reintroduced to North Eugene High School.
Academics
In 2008, 84% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma, Of 246 students, 207 graduated, 23 dropped out, 4 received a modified diploma, and 12 remained in high school. The student-produced school newspaper, The Caledonian, appears to be the first in the area to move to an online news production model. The students at N.E.H.S. performed at 47%, 68% and 50% proficient in Math, Reading & Science respectively on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. This compares to state averages of 49%, 67% and 56%. The school in 2016 received a bronze medal ranking from the U.S. News & World Report "America's Best High Schools" survey. Campus Principal: Iton Udosenata Assistant Principals: Scott Mayers, Trinity
College preparation courses
North Eugene High School is an authorized International Baccalaureate World School. All N.E.H.S. students take IB classes in Literature and History in 11th and 12th grade. Students may also choose to enroll in several other International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses. The school offers a number of these courses, allowing its students the opportunity to take the cumulative exams in the spring to gain college credit at the high school level. North Eugene usually sees very high passing percentages from its students who take these exams, except on the science exams. Students are also offered CollegeNow courses, which directly give students Lane Community College credits which are often transferable to statewide universities. Advanced Placement Courses: Calculus AB International Baccalaurate Courses: English A1: Language & Literature HL, History of the Americas HL, Biology HL/SL, Chemistry HL/SL, Math Studies SL, Film Studies SL, Music Theory SL, Theatre SL, Spanish B SL, Japanese B SL, Theory of Knowledge CollegeNow Courses: Design Fundamentals, Digital Media Design, Yearbook I, II, III, Woods Processing & Woodwork I, II, III, Child Development I, II, III, Culinary Arts I, II, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Health Occupations, Pre-Calculus, Calculus AB, Physics, Chemistry 150, AP/IB Chemistry, Spanish III, IV, V, Japanese III, IV, V,
Sports
The Highlanders have won the following state team championships:
Jason Scott aka Jeremy Blanchard •Lead Singer of KoTTeR •Professional Wrestler
Student-led businesses
North Eugene High School boasts two student-led businesses, both of which are widely appreciated throughout the school and community. Northside Catering: The culinary arts program. Students plan, prepare, and serve food for their customers. The students are trained in food safety and sanitation and each student has passed the Oregon Food Handlers' test. Students are also taught food preparation techniques to help them prepare quality foods. North Eugene High School Preschool: Students are involved in a series of classes that teach child development theory and guidance skills. These students work on a bi-daily schedule where one day is spent learning child development theory and the other applying their knowledge in the Preschool. The preschool children follow a daily routine to provide the children with a sense of consistency and security. Each day there is a science project, outdoor play, art, music, circle time, books, and snack.
