BEATRICE--A southeast Nebraska rural school is proposing a series of improvements to meet future demands.
Tri-County Public Schools kicked off a series of public information meetings, with a session at the DeWitt Community Center Tuesday night.


What’s being proposed is a $28.3 milllion project…..and a bond issue of $21.5 milllion. Superintendent Randy Schlueter says part of the project would involve a seven-year lease-purchase backed by the district’s building fund, which would not increase the tax rate.


"The buildilng fund, we're at seven cents now....what we'll do is raise that to eleven cents...and then we'll take the general fund down four cents. There won't be any levy increase by using a lease-purchase plan."


The remaining bond issue work, with a maximum net levy up to 11.5 cents, would be paid back over a 25-year-period. All agriculture land would be assessed at 50-percent for the bond levy increase.  On Residential property, the bond issue would mean about an extra $287 annually on $250,000 of assessed valuation.


Tri County School was built in the mid-1960s…an elementary was added in the mid-80s….and an addition was completed in 1995. Enrollment dropped over the years because of fewer farms in the area, and the loss of manufacturing jobs in DeWitt. But Schlueter says that’s turned around…increasing slowly the past ten years. Enrollment is now at about 425.


"Our net option enrollment is about 66 or 67 students. That has been part of our enrollment increase."


The plan is to update career and technical education, shop expansion and expanding the district’s preschool.
"We currently have a preschool of about 27 students, three-year-olds and four-year-olds...and we turn kids away every year, because we don't have capacity. When we add a second section of preschool, we're now going to double it to 54 students. Those students, you know once they're here, they're going to stay. If you look at that many kids coming in, that's going to get us closer to our capacity in the building."


The project also focuses on performing arts, the auditorium, a new gym …new lockers, commons and concessions, updating a grandstand and press box, along with interior and parking improvements. Construction would take place partly during the summer and partly during the school year.


"There are three parts of it that are outside of the current building. Those three parts, they would start on, right away. Once those parts are done, then the current classroom space, move it into the new area...and start remodeling the other areas. Yet we know there's going to be some disruption to the learning environment for a period of time. You can't do everything that needs to be done in the summer, only."


Parent drop-off for students would be on the east side of the school and bus drop-off on the west side.. along with enhanced school entrance security. If approved by the voters, completion of all work is anticipated in December of 2027.


Ballots will be mailed out in mid-April in the election conducted through the mail….and must be returned by May 13th.


The district has included renderings of the improvements, on the Tri County Public Schools website at:
tricountyschool.org…click on the school bond tab at the upper right.