Frequently Asked Questions

Has Oak Grove always been in Fargo?

Yes, Oak Grove started in 1906 as the Oak Grove Lutheran Ladies Seminary, a high school for girls at a time when their mothers were not eligible to vote in the United States. Boys were admitted in 1926. Today’s North Campus is the original site of the Lutheran Ladies Seminary.

Is Oak Grove accredited?

Yes. Accreditation assures parents that a school meets comprehensive standards for quality, performance and student achievement. Oak Grove has been accredited continuously since 1926 by Cognia and its predecessor organizations. In fact, no private school in North Dakota or South Dakota has been accredited longer than Oak Grove has, according to Cognia. The current accreditation runs through June 2027.

Is Oak Grove a Christian school?

Absolutely. Oak Grove provides a Christian education and experience from a Lutheran perspective. The school’s mission is clear: To express God’s love by nurturing students for academic achievement, lifelong Christian commitment, and loving service throughout the world. In fact, today’s mission statement reflects ideals present in the school’s original mission statement. Oak Grove is affiliated with the ELCA, the nation’s largest Lutheran body.

Do I need to be Lutheran to attend Oak Grove?

Oak Grove welcomes children and families from all religions with the understanding that academics, faith and service are intertwined as part of the Oak Grove experience.

Do students attend chapel regularly?

Yes. Oak Grove holds chapel services each morning on the North Campus and Tuesday mornings on the South Campus. Parents are invited to attend!

How big are the classes at Oak Grove?

Good question. Optimal enrollments are 16 students per room in kindergarten and first grade and up to 20 students per room in grades 2-5. Stated another way, the school ideally enrolls about 64 students in both kindergarten and first grade and 60 students total in each grade 2-12. The student-to-faculty ratio is approximately 14-to-1.

What are Oak Grove’s basic principles on student behavior?

Students are expected to “conduct themselves in a manner which respects the rights of other students and fosters the teachings of Christianity,” as written in the Student Handbook. Stated another way, students are expected to reflect the school’s Shared Values through their words and actions.

Is Oak Grove an RIC school?

No. Reconciling in Christ (RIC), a movement started in 1983, is a program that helps faith communities, primarily churches, support people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Some churches in the Fargo-Moorhead area carry the RIC designation.

Does Oak Grove teach critical race theory (CRT)?

No. Critical race theory is a research approach used primarily in sociology for 40 years or more. It may be taught as part of a university graduate class in sociology, political science, law or history, not in a high school.

Does Oak Grove accept students with learning disabilities?

Oak Grove leaders have worked with several families whose children have learning challenges that can be accommodated within the school’s available resources.

How does Oak Grove respond to students who are exploring gender identity?

Individually. Our students are God’s children. During the past several years, a small number of students have explored gender identity while enrolled at Oak Grove. The school’s practice has been to walk with students (and their families) as individuals, respecting their privacy while acknowledging the apprehension or the uncertainty of a new dynamic for other students. Most importantly, the school’s practice reflects the mission statement: To express God’s love by nurturing students for academic achievement, lifelong Christian commitment, and loving service throughout the world. Oak Grove is a safe place where all students have the right to learn. Accommodations for students exploring gender identity start with conversations that include parents and an opinion from a medical professional who has the credentials to assess gender dysphoria. From there, Oak Grove leaders will determine how the student’s needs can be met within the realities of people, facilities and scheduling. Academic staff make accommodations for students who have learning challenges such as autism or dyslexia and for students who show gifted learner characteristics. School leaders, working in tandem with parents, make similar adjustments for students exploring gender identity.

Are any Oak Grove students LGBTQIA+?

That’s a personal matter for students and their parents. Oak Grove is a safe place where all God’s children have the right to learn. Oak Grove faculty and staff focus on nurturing students as individuals for academic achievement, lifelong Christian commitment, and loving service throughout the world, as noted in the mission statement.

Does Oak Grove have a policy on bullying?

Oak Grove does not tolerate bullying. The school has a policy that is reviewed each year.

Is Oak Grove liberal or conservative?

Neither. Oak Grove is a school; faculty and staff are committed to providing an environment that nurtures students for academic achievement, lifelong Christian commitment, and loving service throughout the world. The school is not a political entity.

Do students at Oak Grove recite the Pledge of Allegiance?

Yes … and the Lord’s Prayer, too. Every day.

Does Oak Grove offer sports?

Yes … and a couple club teams, too! Oak Grove fields 10 athletic teams under the Grovers banner, and students participate actively on teams in 13 other sports that are sponsored cooperatively with neighboring schools.

What other extracurricular activities are available?

The school’s theater productions attract hundreds of patrons each year. The choir usually completes a spring tour each year, and the band holds its concerts on the North Campus. The debate team started in recent years. Philanthropy and Youth (PaY) develops the spirit of giving among high school students and offers skill development. More than 20 area schools participate in the program. Other options include Key Club for leadership development, National Art Honors Society, Robotics/STEM club, and a popular afterschool Board Game club. Historically, Oak Grove students have learned through travel opportunities and mission trips.

What’s a Grover?

Thinking globally, a Grover is a student, parent, alumni, teacher, staff member or supporter of Oak Grove. Looking at the mascot, a Grover is someone who works in a forest. The school is named Oak Grove because the original buildings were surrounded by oak trees on a peninsula in the Red River. The historic North Campus and the adjoining city park still feature dozens of oak trees.

Does the mascot have a name?

Timber. Students selected the name through a contest held in 2022.