Partially for this and other reasons, such as being the home of Arbor Day and being the oldest town in the state, the athletic team's name (then the "Golden Avalanches" or, unofficially, the "Purples") was changed to the "Pioneers" in December 1938.

The school's newspaper has, since the early 1900s, been referred to as the Otoean, deriving its name from its home – Otoe County.

During this time, Nebraska City regularly competed in the International Soap Box Derbies, including a World Championship at the fourth annual.

The current site at 141 Steinhart Park Road was selected for a new building for an even larger student population.

The original design—a brick building with the gym at one end, auditorium and cafeteria in the center, with classrooms in the north—is little changed.

From 2008 to 2011, the school underwent a major renovation with the addition of a second gym, a turf field, a new cafeteria, a new fine arts rooms, new wood and metal workshops and new offices.

This differs from most other gyms, in terms of the size, cramped conditions, sparse, mellow lighting and a high number of random "dead spots" in the floor.

It has been speculated that a home field advantage aided Pioneer basketball teams through their years in the Palace.

The school song, "The Purple and the Gold", was written some time between 1908 and 1918, and its main lyrics have been relatively unchanged.