The next regular Board of Education meeting will be on December 14, 2026, 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 Curriculum Committee met on November 5th to begin the process of determining which curriculum and personnel proposals to recommend for the 2027-28 school year. There were 38 proposals this year for consideration.

The table below shows those proposals approved at this time. Each year, the Curriculum Committee reviews and refines positions that will be added using growth data metrics. These “triggered positions” become the first proposal each year for consideration. 

The estimated cost for these positions is $1,131,156, but the actual payroll increase due to the SPED reimbursement would be $968,106. The “hard to hire” positions will not all be filled, but will allow the flexibility to hire the positions if needed. These positions would be allocated from the 2027-28 General Fund budget.

The committee will review the other 36 proposals and rank 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 2025-2026. A representative from 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 of Education approved the addition of a fourth tennis court at both Bennington High School and Bennington South High School, at a total estimated cost of $511,101. The additional courts will provide greater flexibility for practices and competitions while better supporting the growing tennis programs at both schools. The project will be funded through available construction contingency funds and/or additional energy credit revenue, with no increase to the overall project budget. The new court at Bennington High School is expected to be ready for the fall 2027 tennis season, while the court at Bennington South High School will be completed in time for the school’s opening in fall 2028.

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 on Tuesday 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.

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.