The next regular Board of Education meeting will be on August 11, 2025, 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.

Kara Neuverth was sworn in at the July Board of Education meeting. She will serve the remainder of the term previously held by Kristi Ryan, through December 2026.

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 Board of Education discussed and considered to revise policies at the June 9th meeting and approved those revisions at the July 14th meeting. Some of the revisions are mandated by approved bills from the most recent legislative session. The Policy Committee recommended changes to policies. 

The Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss, consider, and receive input on the Student Fee Policy and the Parental Involvement Policy. Click here to view the agenda from this hearing.

During the Regular Board of Education meeting on July 14th, the Student Fee and Parental Involvement Policies Policy were approved.

The Board approved the presented resolution outlining required staff trainings during the 2025-2026 school year. The District will designate the appropriate staff to take the below required training sessions.

Dr. Thoendel and Mr. Feeney provided an update on the curriculum and personnel proposals for the 2025-26 school year. The Curriculum Committee met to continue the process of determining which curriculum and personnel proposals to recommend for the 2025-26 school year. There were 40 proposals this year for consideration. At the previous meetings, the BOE approved twelve of the 40 proposals while utilizing fund reallocations and special education reimbursements. The Curriculum Committee has continued to review proposals that were highly prioritized by both the Curriculum/Proposal Committee and the Administrative/BOE Committee with an emphasis on those with offsetting costs.

The estimated cost for this low-cost proposal is $1,500. These funds would be allocated from the 2025-26 General Fund budget.

The Board of Education approved the District to raise the pay rates for short-term substitutes to $175 per day and for long-term substitutes to $190 per day after 10 consecutive days of substituting for the same teacher. Prior to this decision, the District looked at other school districts across the area and we are confident that we are offering a competitive wage for substitutes.

The substitute paraprofessional pay has always been set at step #1 of our paraprofessional pay scale. Next year, step #1 will be $16.25.

It was also approved that the District will now add retention bonuses of $300 to substitute staff that work 60% or more days during the days after Thanksgiving (for 1st semester) and after March 31 (for 2nd semester). Each semester, they are eligible for a $300 bonus.

The Board of Education approved the three-year contract for the superintendent of schools, Dr. Aaron Plas.

BPS received bids from subcontractors for the tennis courts at Bennington High School. There were several general contractors that submitted qualified bids for the tennis courts in the various areas. The Board approved the recommended bid package for a total of $661,611.

Parents/guardians across all schools should have received an email notification on how to complete the Student Verification process.

The Parent Web Account allows parents/guardians to update family and student information, family contact numbers, email addresses, annual health changes, and so much more in the comfort of their own home. Families can register for transportation services through the Student Verification process. All forms may be signed electronically and no registration forms need to be printed.

Once the Student Verification has been completed, elementary homeroom teachers will be emailed out on August 1st, for 1st through 5th grade. Below are verification dates at both middle schools and the high school. If you have difficulty completing the online verification process, computers will be available in each building during the hours below.

Parents/guardians are able to make payments for items such as lunch accounts, snack milk (for elementary students), busing, activity passes, and PTO dues online through https://myschoolbucks.com or by selecting the Online Payment choice under Parents on the school website benningtonschools.org.

Students new to Bennington need to bring a certified birth certificate, immunizations, and physicals (grades K & 7) to registration days or on the first day of school. Students in grades 7-12 planning to participate in athletics need to have the Athletic Physical and NSAA Consent Form completed and signed.

Families may pay an annual, non-refundable fee of $20 for their student’s Chromebook. This fee provides for an 80% discount on up to four (4) repairs that must be conducted on the student’s Chromebook during the school year. 

After four (4) repairs in one school year, families will be responsible for 100% of the repair cost. Families who choose not to participate in the cooperative loss program will be responsible for the full cost of the repair each time.

With or without the cooperative loss agreement, damage that results in a complete loss of the Chromebook will result in a damage bill for the full replacement cost of the device.

The following table lists the costs for each event. Note that parts availability and pricing is subject to change. The information provided is accurate as of the most recent edition of this handbook.

Repairs due to defects in workmanship or warranty service will be facilitated by the Technology Department.

The Free and Reduced Meal applications are now available for the 2025-26 school year. Applications need to be filled out every school year. Each family only needs to complete one application for their entire family.

As you are completing the student verification information online, you can now complete the Free and Reduced meal application at the same time.

For assistance on how to apply online or to obtain a printed copy of the application, please call the District Office at 402-238-3044.

Families also have the option to purchase snack milk for their students each semester. This is separate from the lunch program and can be paid online. Snack milk is $53.40 for each semester. You must purchase snack milk for each semester. Snack milk for the first semester is available for purchase starting on August 8th and will end on August 22nd at 4 p.m. After August 22nd, payments for snack milk will no longer be accepted. 

If you do not purchase snack milk by August 22nd at 4 p.m., your student will not be able to get snack milk. Second semester will be open for payment in December. All payments for snack milk will be done online at myschoolbucks.com.

Students are currently not able to login to Google Classroom or Clever. The District is working on closing out the 2024-25 school year and setting up the 2025-26 school year.

Along with the switch to ParentSquare, we’re launching new district and school websites to keep everything into one streamlined platform. The updated sites will go live on Friday, August 1. Thank you in advance for your patience as we make this transition, and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Bennington Public Schools wants to welcome volunteers in a caring and appropriate manner. We want individuals to feel comfortable volunteering while maintaining a safe environment for our students. Click here to view these procedures and guidelines to assist in creating and maintaining safe working environments for all.

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.