BEATRICE – The school year came to an end in the Beatrice Public School district Thursday.  "First of all, congratulations to all of our students on their successes this year. What a terrific way for us to end the year with a state golf champion, that's awesome....and a lot of great things have happened. We've seen students grow in areas we didn't think they would grow. We've seen students master things that they didn't think they could. So, there's a lot of great lessons and challenges that have been accomplished throughout the school year."


Superintendent Jason Alexander says the district met state targets for the number of instruction hours and instructional units and complied with the teacher contract provisions.


The school year ended later this year than it has in many years…something Board of Education President Eric Trusty says he’d like to see reviewed.
"I personally believe we really need to look at next year's calendar and bring that back up. I would like to do that, potentially, at the June board meeting....to look at adjusting that calendar so that we're not in school this late."


Graduation at BHS this year moved to the Sunday after Mother’s Day, which board members say they’ve heard positive reaction about, from district patrons.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jackie Nielsen says the district is gearing up for its summer programs for students. She says about 280 students have signed up for a variety of offerings.


BPS Director of Buildings and Grounds, Ronda Pieper says mainly maintenance projects will be going on at district buildings over the summer. Both gym floors at the high school and the gym floor at the middle school will be refinished. Door replacement and painting will be done. Pieper says this summer the district will be installing a 30-second shot clock at the Beatrice High School gym, in accordance with a state basketball rule change.


One upcoming event, Superintendent Alexander says, has been scheduled. That’s a Topping Out Ceremony to be held at the site of the new prekindergarten to fifth grade elementary project being built in east Beatrice.  "The topping out ceremony is June 1st, from ten to eleven a.m. You will get more information on the location. We're working on the location, where to park, how to get there, as we're getting closer to next week. That topping out ceremony just represents putting the last beam on, at the new elementary school...which is kind of significant because all of the steel structure is up, and it's time to go to work putting it all together."


The new school is expected to open for the 2024 school year. Five teachers and two other staff members retired from Beatrice Public School District service at the end of this year.