A years-long aim to expand agricultural education at North Platte High could become reality.
High School Principal Cory Spotanski and Agriculture Teacher Collin Swedburg presented plans Thursday for a greenhouse and multiuse facility estimated to cost between $1million-$1.4 million.
They presented the plan at the school board’s monthly Committee of the Whole meeting, which is typically a work session for the board and administrators to hear reports and discuss moves that are contemplated and underway.
North Platte’s Future Farmers of America chapter has saved about $150,000 toward the project through fundraising and community sponsorships since the agriculture program began in 2018. Swedburg is pursuing roughly $175,000 in grants and has discussed a potential capital campaign with the North Platte Public Schools Foundation.
Swedburg asked board members for support to continue planning, design and fundraising. No construction funds were requested.
The project would likely be completed in phases, beginning with a greenhouse, followed by an attached multi-use ag building.
The greenhouse would serve as a working laboratory for instruction in plant science, floriculture, landscape design, and natural resources. Phase 2 could include flexible classroom and laboratory space, as well as short-term livestock housing for veterinary and animal science classes.
Swedburg said the facility also would provide students with real-world business experience through community plant sales. The agribusiness students could manage budgets, prices, inventory, marketing and cash flow, with proceeds helping support the facility.
Participation in the high school agriculture program continues to grow. Since 2018, Swedburg said about 1,400 students have participated and 241 completed courses in animal and plant science, agribusiness, or natural resources.
The program had 58 pathway completions during its first five years, growing to 183 during the following four years. Swedburg said approximately 178 students now participate in agriculture courses each day.
Board members reacted favorably although questions remain about cost, location, and the district’s eventual financial involvement. Some of the grants being pursued may require matching funds. District contributions could also include land, design or engineering costs, and ongoing utility and maintenance costs.
Several locations near the high school have been considered, including property near the existing tennis courts. Interim Supt. Virginia Moon asked Swedburg to work on a “next step” plan and bring it back to the board.
School meals
The board also heard an update on the federal Community Eligibility Provision school meal program.
Buffalo, Cody, Eisenhower, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Washington currently participate in CEP, allowing students at those schools to receive free breakfast and lunch.
The director of Sodexo food service, Stephanie McConnell, said a lower number of students in other schools qualify for free and reduced-price lunches, so expanding CEP to the entire district would be financially unfavorable. Grouping all schools together would result in an identified-student percentage of approximately 47.85%, producing a federal free-meal reimbursement rate of about 76.56%.
Based on last year’s figures, providing universal free meals districtwide under current conditions is estimated to cost approximately $72,000 a year. That figure includes roughly $56,000 that families currently pay for meals plus $16,000 in negative meal balances.
McConnell said the Nebraska Department of Education has strongly recommended that North Platte not move the entire district into CEP, due to possible changes in federal reimbursement levels and student eligibility changes.
Staffing report
Also, Director of Human Resources Kevin Mills presented preliminary data that shows staffing declined at nearly the same rate as enrollment during the past decade. Enrollment has decreased by about 15%, while total staffing decreased about 14%. In the elementary schools, Mills said the district had about 101 teachers in 2017 compared with 74 today.
Moon cautioned that the figures are preliminary. State reporting codes and staff classifications have changed over the years. A more detailed report is expected next month.
Moon also reviewed several spending reductions in recent years — eliminating district-provided snacks, reducing some transportation, limiting professional-development travel, cutting building budgets, and reducing central-office positions. She said the district plans to review individual departments during future committee meetings to examine staffing, budgets and potential efficiencies.
Early childhood program
North Platte’s Sixpence early childhood program also updated the board on its work with families of children from birth through age 3.
The program currently serves 24 children from approximately 19 families.
Local participants reported significantly higher levels of some family stressors compared with Sixpence participants statewide. Eighty-nine percent in North Platte report a parental mental health history, compared with 38% statewide, while 22% of local participating children are in foster care compared with 3% statewide.
Despite the challenges, North Platte families scored above the statewide average of parent-child interactions. The district overall score was 3.9 compared with a statewide average of 3.5. Parent Representatives Megan Dailey and Kellie Matthewson said the results demonstrate progress among families that face significant challenges, which is the aim of the program.
Superintendent search
The board briefly discussed the search for the district’s next permanent superintendent. President Emily Garrick said Shari Becker of the Nebraska Association of School Boards has warned that North Platte will face significant competition from similar-size districts seeking superintendents next year.
Garrick said the district needs to move quickly to advertise the position, and the timeline for interviews and a final hiring decision can be determined later. Becker provided several possible meeting dates, and board members agreed to email their availability to meet to Garrick, who will coordinate the schedule with NASB. No formal action was taken on the search Thursday.
Public critics
During public comments, Shreya Agrawal, a candidate for the Ward 1 school board seat, urged members to consider whether continued budget cuts are affecting district capacity. She cited the elimination of elementary art, district-provided snacks, combined student services and special education leadership.
Kyle Nichols, a Ward 3 candidate challenging Garrick, criticized what he described as board micromanagement, saying members should focus on policy, financial oversight, and long-term planning rather than day-to-day operations. Both candidates urged the board to consider the long-term effects of financial decisions on students, staff and district stability.
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Just keep on piling the debt load onto the local property owners…you know, the ones that are already being taxed out of their homes. Whole you’re at it, maybe add a $10 million dollar indoor target range like kearney did.
There is a point where tge property owners are going to start taring and feathering those pushing these added tax burdens on us.
Probably the only good thing I can say about it us it’s agri-related…..other than that, not needed. Most don’t need a greenhouse to learn about farming.
Why are they even considering this when they are already admitting to not being able to afford payroll for the last few months? When they are talking about asking for a maximum allowed tax hike for this next year, when they know that nebraskans have been complaining about the high property taxes as it is and politicians have been trying to find a way to LOWER taxes?!?!
It’s like they are the spoiled brats of the family throwing a tantrum to get the next new toy when the parents keep trying to beg and plead with them to choose a cheaper one because they are a poor family!!