PLEASANTON, Neb. — This facility has been home to Pleasanton Public Schools since 1993, serving the small district well.

The only problem now is, the district isn’t so small anymore. With a growing enrollment, the school board is seeking an $11 million bond to expand the building.

“If we’re a growing school district, we can’t just think about tomorrow or next year, we have to think five and 10 years down the road to make sure we have space to accommodate the students, because I believe with our location, we’ll continue to grow over the years,” fourth-year superintendent Nathan Lightle said.

Lightle says the district’s enrollment was 264 a decade ago. It’s now at 331, which represents a 25 percent increase. The district expects to add another 20-some students to its total over the next five years.

“We are maxed out," school board president Seth Kucera said. "100% of our rooms in our school are full 100% of the day. So we need some more rooms for our growing students.”

The proposed $11 million renovation and expansion would turn this courtyard into a new media center. It would add eight high school classrooms, six elementary classrooms, an improved activity entrance, additional parking and expand the shop space to offer more career, technical and agricultural programs.

“In our community, that’s important," Lightle said. "We need a larger ag space, we need a new ag space. This larger ag space will also be a shop.”

The district is still paying off its voter-approved bond to add on the elementary school from about 10 years ago. School officials will host a pair of community meetings next month to educate locals on the new bond issue. Mail-in ballots are due by March 11.

“Our people want this school here," Kucera said. "It’s a big part — the kids who go to school here, (their) parents went to school here, grandparents went to school here, so they want to see their kids and grandkids grow through this school.”

If the bond is approved by voters in March, construction would start a few months later. The project is expected to take two years to complete.

Thursday, February 13
7 p.m.
School Gym

Sunday, February 23
5 p.m.
School Gym