The next regular Board of Education meeting will be on December 8, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., at the District Office. All meetings are open to the public. Regular meetings are streamed live through YouTube and viewable on the District website. Special meetings, where there are action items on the agenda, will also be streamed live. Agendas for Board of Education meetings are posted on the district website the Friday before each meeting. Click here to view agendas and minutes.

Throughout the meeting, building and district administrators presented reports and updates to the Board of Education. Click here to view the agenda with each presentation attached.

Reports included:

During each regular board meeting, Dr. Plas provides an update to the Board on various topics. You can view the full report online as an attachment to the meeting agenda. Click here to view the agenda.

This month's report included an update on:

The Building/Finance Committee met on November 5th to discuss potential district purchases. These discussions included maintenance contracts, district repairs, and transportation purchases. After the unanimous recommendation from the committee to purchase a school bus, for a total cost of $99,850, the Board of Education approved the purchase.

Dr. Thoendel and Mr. Feeney provided an update on the curriculum and personnel proposals for the 2026-27 school year. The Curriculum Committee met on November 6th to begin the process of determining which curriculum and personnel proposals to recommend for the 2026-27 school year. There were 50 proposals this year for consideration.

The table below shows those proposals approved at this time. These additions are only the positions that were “triggered” because of the anticipated growth and large class sizes. The committee will review the other 49 proposals and rank sort them for future additions as funds are released from the Building/Finance Committee.

The auditing firm, Eide Bailly, has finished the audit of Bennington Public Schools for the fiscal year 2024-2025. Mr. Justin Hope, of Eide Bailly, discussed some of the audit highlights. Overall, the audit shows the District is in compliance with all rules and regulations and in good financial shape and the audit has been submitted to the Nebraska Department of Education.

The Board approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the second high school, setting a firm cap on construction costs as the project moves forward. Hausmann Construction presented a GMP of $98,431,752, which includes a required $767,682 for the geothermal well system. The district expects this amount to be returned through energy efficiency grants, bringing the project back to the original construction estimate shared during the bond campaign. The Building and Finance Committee recommended approval, and the project remains on budget and aligned with earlier expectations.

As we gear up for the winter season, we wanted to ensure that our communication channels were fully operational and ready to keep you informed. To test the effectiveness of our District Mass Communication System (ParentSquare), we sent a test weather message yesterday via a phone call, email, and text message.

If you did not receive the messages and would like to, please reach out to Communications Coordinator, Stacy Hawn at shawn@bennps.org.

The Community Resources page on the BPS website shares information about local programs available to help families with food sustainability and other essential needs. From food pantries and meal assistance to community outreach efforts, these resources are here to help families have access to what they need.

Mrs. Johnson is planning a TRIP TO EUROPE for all Sophomores students graduating in 2028! The trip will be 14 days and include 5 countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy. It will depart as soon as school is out for the summer in 2028. 

There is an INFORMATIONAL PARENT MEETING this coming Wednesday Nov. 19th at 7:30 in Mrs. Johnson's classroom: A-237. Attend with your parents so that you have all of the information about travel, safety and the entire adventure!  

Also, visit our exclusive website for more information or to sign up: www.bluedottours.com/Johnson-8Y73

The Bennington Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, religion, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, or other protected status in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Students: Mr. Dan Bombeck, Director of Student Services, 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 (dbombeck@bennps.org). Employees and Others: Dr. Matt Blomenkamp, Assistant Superintendent 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 (mblomenkamp@bennps.org). Complaints or concerns involving discrimination or needs for accommodation or access should be addressed to the appropriate Coordinator. For further information about anti-discrimination laws and regulations, or to file a complaint of discrimination with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education (OCR), please contact the OCR at 601 East 12th Street, Room 353, Kansas City, MO 64106, (800) 368-1019 (voice), Fax (816) 426-3686, (800) 537-7697 (telecommunications device for the deaf), or ocr.kansascity@ed.gov.

The Bennington Public School District is committed to offering employment and educational opportunity to its employees and students in a climate free of discrimination. Accordingly, unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation of any kind by District employees, including, co-workers, non-employees (such as volunteers), third parties and others is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.