Last year, the Conestoga community voted on a bond to improve Conestoga Public Schools facilities and their ability to serve every student’s needs. It was a close vote, but ultimately, the bond failed. This May, the school board hopes to put a new bond up for election. Currently, they are gauging interest and receiving feedback through phone calls.

The new bond would make updates to security and safety, add additional classroom space, and address outdated classrooms. According to Allison Welch, Conestoga School Board President, “We have outgrown both buildings and are expecting students to learn and teachers to teach in spaces which were designed in 1979.” The passage of the bond would address current growth and accommodate for future growth in all facilities. Additionally, spaces would be updated to be ADA-accessible. According to Welch, 19% of Conestoga students receive specialized services. Many are placed in the hallways, under stairs, or in modified closets because there is no space. Science classrooms would be replaced with flexible classrooms to meet the current science instruction practices. The current CTE area does not meet standards that would allow students to enter the workforce after high school since the spaces used are not ventilated or properly sized to meet technical education requirements.

Over the past year, the Building Project Committee held 12 public meetings to gather information from the community. “Each bond has been modified to include patron input. We will have the results from the phone survey toward the end of February, and will share those results with the community,” stated Welch. Be on the lookout for more information about the bond soon!

Conestoga Building Project: https://sites.google.com/view/conestoga-public-schools/home

Article About Previous Bond: https://chsprowl.org/3353/showcase/a-bond-for-our-future/

Voter Registration: https://www.nebraska.gov/apps-sos-voter-registration/