School History
Our History
Nord School is the smallest and the oldest school in the Chico Unified School District. It was erected as the Missouri Bend School in 1867 and was renamed the following year as Mt. Diablo Meridian School. The school acquired its current name when the town of Nord was established along the Central Pacific Rail Line in 1872. The town was the northernmost valley community in Butte County at that time, hence the name Nord, which means north in French. The school is situated in the Northern Sacramento Valley, part of California’s Central Valley.
The Coastal Range Mountains are to the west of the school while the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain Ranges are to the east. To the northeast, Nord School has a scenic view of Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta 90 miles further north.
Forming Nord Country School
Nord Founding Group
Most of the founders of the Nord Country School are members of the Nord Cana Community Association, an organization that represents the interests of the community surrounding Nord located near Chico, California.
Over many years the Nord Cana Community Association has supported Nord School so when the Chico Unified School Board voted to close Nord Elementary School, these people came together with the parents and staff to form a charter school. The founding group wanted to make sure that families had the option to attend a small neighborhood school.
As a charter school, Nord Country School welcomes all students whose families share our vision of education. The vision of the founding group is to provide a quality basic education for students in a small rural school which provides a safe, respectful, nurturing and supportive learning environment. Their past support for Nord School is evidence of their sincere commitment to the charter school project.
