It closed in 1984 and students are currently educated in nearby Alma or Franklin. While many small towns are dwindling, Naponee is a survivor. Main Street sustains a good number of businesses. An auditorium, built with volunteer labor in 1929, serves as a community hall. The population, listed as 160 in 1976, is making a slow but steady increase as families move from larger cities or other states to our town.
New residents purchase homes as recreational get-aways or because they are employed in the area.
Prominently situated four miles east of the Harlan County reservoir and bordered by the Republican River, Naponee welcomes summer tourists. Each July, canoe races attract nearly 200 participants and hundreds of viewers. The proximity of the Republican River first drew settlers to the area, and now as a recreation area, continues to be a prime attraction for Naponee's future.