Grateful for community support, school ready for bond vote

McCOOK Neb. — After acknowledging generous community support for agriculture and other school initiatives, officials reiterated reasons to support the current school bond issue.

At Monday night’s McCook school board meeting, Savannah Hauxwell, the sponsor of the McCook Chapter of FFA, expressed her gratitude to the community for its continued support at the recent MPS School Board Meeting, recognizing the Kugler Co. for sponsoring the chapter’s t-shirts and announced that Nutrient Ag had generously offered nearly $4,000 to fund the students’ flights to the National FFA Convention later this month and provided quarter zip pullovers for the chapter’s officers. “We’re lucky to have awesome community support,” Hauxwell stated, emphasizing the importance of agriculture in our everyday lives. “Agriculture is our future, whether you grew up on a farm or not; agriculture is all around us.”

The finance committee reported that the district had received a clean audit, affirming the sound management of funds. Business Manager Jeff Gross confirmed that the audit was approved by the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). He further informed the board that due to renewals and insurance, September was the most expensive month. He shared that the drainage wall on the north side of the junior high had recently been completed.

Superintendent Grant Norgaard provided an overview of the recent bond information meeting, discussing pressing concerns regarding the junior high facilities. He noted the challenges posed by inadequate locker room sizes, which do not meet Title IX requirements. “We talked about objective quality classroom space for learning, improved safety and security, and quality spaces for industrial arts and performing arts,” he explained. Norgaard emphasized the need for a building constructed to last well into the future, ideally around 100 years, contrasting it with the current state of their facilities.

He also addressed safety concerns raised during a recent inspection by the Nebraska Department of Education, which cited several issues, including foundation cracks and insufficient locker space. “These are potential risks that could lead to slips and falls, which we must address to ensure safety for our students and staff,” he said.

As part of ongoing improvements, the board discussed upcoming events, including a teacher training session with educator Rick Stans and the adoption of new K-5 English Language Arts materials.

With appreciation, the school board accepted a check for $1,775.05 from MNB, generated from their Bison Debit card program, which directly supports school initiatives.

In a proactive step towards staffing, the board accepted six letters of resignation from teachers, five of which announced their upcoming retirements. They are Julie Carpenter, Lynne Kinne, Donita Priebe, Carol Brown, Shelly Sehnert, and Jason Cochran.

This early notification will allow the administration ample time to plan and hire replacements for the coming school year. Board President Brad Hayes read the letters, and Noorgaurd shared, “We really appreciate all of these teachers. 

With continued community involvement and a focus on improving school facilities, the McCook School Board is dedicated to ensuring a safe and enriching educational environment for all students.