Voters deciding bond proposal at Freeman Public Schools

BEATRICE –Freeman Public School voters are deciding a $29.6 million bond issue for improvements at the school in Adams….the final day of a vote taking placing entirely by mail.

Superintendent Dr. Andrew Havelka said several meetings and informational sessions have been held on the issue, along with tours of the areas to be improved. "There's a new addition to the south of our current ag room that's a career technical education facility. C-T-E is that term now that we've started to use a lot more, for anything that involves trades...and so it would be a new addition. They would have a metal shop, a wood shop, two classrooms, some specific welding area and some areas to enhance the pathways that we have in those areas."

The proposed project also includes an addition onto the northeast part of the school for preschool on one floor….additional classrooms on a second floor.

"The third piece is just some renovations that would happen throughout the building...a safe and secure west entrance which is our main high school entrance and the entrance we use for a lot of activities. An expanded kitchen...taking our current kitchen and making it a part of our safe and secure west entrance...and then knocking out a couple of classrooms and making that into an expanded kitchen and expanded commons space."

Havelka said its all about maximizing existing space. The Superintendent says Freeman has seen growth in enrollment, adding a few students every year.

"Over the last fifteen years, we've seen a 30-percent increase in enrollment. It's slow and steady, but it's happening every year. We really started to see, over the last five or six years or at least the six years that I've been here...where we've had to maximize our space in different ways...add lockers, change up the way our programming is done, how lunch is done...just with the space we're seeing shrinking in the building with the increase in enrollment."

Part of the school is the original Adams School…and Havelka sys the school board has done a good job of purchasing adjacent land as it has become available, to meet growing needs. "What we've seen is situations where a lot of people live in our area and then commute to work in Lincoln. It's definitely an area that people are attracted to. I think part of that is because we've got a great community and we've got a great school. Families, especially those with kids, are excited about moving to a small town and being a part of a small town community and school."

Freeman has about eight-cents of valuation on prior bonds, and this new one would add about 23-cents per hundred dollars of property valuation. The district refinanced bonds several years ago, saving some money.

If the bond issue is approved, Havelka says the district would use a design-bid-build process, with an approximate 18 months for construction time. Some additions could be built during the school year.

This is also a big week for Freeman for another reason…..the Freeman Falcons boys basketball team is playing in the state tournament…their first game on Thursday at 9 a.m.

"There's no school. All joking aside, we had one snow day kind of in my back pocket that I was going to use. Then, last Wednesday messed that up, with the crazy wind and the little bit of snow that we had. So, we're not going to have school on Thursday and we've encouraged the whole community to get to Lincoln and watch our team play. That's what's so awesome about being in a small town. I remember a couple of years ago making it to state, and even this year, in volleyball, we played in the evening. But, everybody comes out and supports our team and our kids...and it really kind of gives a sense of a strong school and a strong community."

Freeman takes on Fremont Archbishop Bergan, in round one.