Beatrice School Board turns back proposed calendar revision

BEATRICE – The Beatrice Board of Education has rejected a revised school calendar for next year, that would have included an earlier end to the school year….May 17th….instead of this year’s May 25th.

Despite easily meeting targets for instructional hours set by the state, the board voted 5-2 against a revised calendar, meaning the district will have one of the longer school years of districts in the area.

At a May committee meeting, School Board Chairman Eric Trusty asked that an earlier dismissal at the end of the school year be considered.  "The question came up, how many instruction hours are we at? Because some of the community members were educated on knowing the number and were asking, what is the number we're at?  When you go back to them and say we're now over....so why are we still in school?"

The change brought vocal opposition from board members Doris Martin, Lisa Pieper and Janet Byars. Martin saying, it seems the change would be about convenience, not over concern with education.  "We gave an opportunity, we talked about his in public session. We invited people to come in, we talked about it at committee-of-the-whole, earlier. I'm just not understanding what this is going to do for our students...which I think should be the focus of a calendar."

Board member Lisa Pieper said the calendar was approved several months ago, and said a change now would set a bad precedent. Janet Byars agrees.

"We have heard in the last years, students being out of the classroom is not good. Due to Covid, we had learning loss...and then we turn around and we say, okay, we're going to reduce the number of days we're going to have them in school. The other thing is we hear about a 25-percent absenteeism rate....the question comes up over and over, how do we get people to value education? Are we talking out of both sides of our mouth by saying, okay, we want them in school but we want them in school less, than before?"

Beatrice Public Schools this year held graduation the Sunday after Mothers Day, with classes dismissing for the year for all grades, just before the Memorial Day weekend.  Trusty said the year is significantly longer than other districts.

"We were in school significantly longer than others. You look at that as well...and look at our instructional hours...we were over....(Martin)...But, how is that bad? I don't get how we say...I don't want to be a board member in a district where we do the very, very minimum. I want to be in a district that does the most it can, for its kids."

Superintendent Jason Alexander says Beatrice Public Schools is well above the minimum requirements of instruction hours and units for students…..at all grade levels.  In the final vote, board members Doris Martin, Charles Riedesul, Eric Book, Janet Byars and Lisa Pieper voted against the revised proposal. Board Chairman Eric Trusty and Brandon Vetrovsky were in support of the change.

The cost of breakfast and lunch in the Beatrice Public School system will go up a dime in the 2023-2024 school year. There will be a quarter increase in the adult meal price.  The Beatrice Board of Education approved the setting of meal prices at a Monday night meeting. The breakfast price for students will range from $2.40 to $2.65….while lunch will cost $3.15 to $3.30. The adult meal price will be $4.25.