NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) -Hershey Public Schools is working on a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project targeting different areas of the school. The project will cost $ 17.9 million. Hershey residents will vote on whether the school district can move forward using the school bond funds.

With this project, the district does not intend to increase enrollment. The aim is to increase the quality of learning for current and future students. The current enrollment of Hershey Public Schools is 520 students. Over a 20-year period, this project invests $ 1,755 per student.

“This is a project we’ve been working on since 2018,” said Jane Davis, superintendent of Hershey Public Schools. “Community discussions about the building needs of the neighborhood started a decade ago. We want what’s best for our students and what’s best for our community.

Every addition to the expansion and renovation project meets the needs of 21st century students.

“We take a school from 1960 and try to adapt it to the criteria that the state and the federal government imposed on us for all learners, and one of those groups is our students with special needs,” he said. Davis said. “It is a need that we want to meet. We want a better facility for our special education students to meet their specific learning needs.

The bathrooms would also be brought up to the standards of the Americans with Disability Act.

Renovations will be carried out in the Kindergarten and Preschool classes by adding bathrooms to their classrooms and doors that connect their rooms to the playground.

The bond proposal includes a 30,000 square foot multi-purpose addition to the southeast side of the school, including a training gymnasium, fine arts ‘competition stage’ and new kitchen and common area. . The plumbing systems and other aging infrastructure in the 1959 wing would be replaced.

This project is also rebuilding the southern entrance to the complex to address security concerns.

“There will be a secure entrance for visitors who meet a school representative face to face, so we will know who they are and why they are coming. We’re just trying to constantly evolve, so our facility will be appreciated and will work in our Hershey community well in the future, ”said Davis. “It is an important part of the project, necessary and necessary for the community. “

Supporters said the project was not just about renovating buildings and was about creating changes for years to come.

“The community really wants a Future Farmers of America professional farming program and a place for it,” Davis said. “This project gives us a place for this need. “

Prior to any construction, residents will vote for or against the issuance of Hershey Schools Bonds. The money to fund this project will come from property taxes collected by the county.

Property taxes are subject to increase whether or not school bond issuance is adopted. If the problem does not pass, the neighborhood will still have to undergo priority renovations. The money allocated for these renovations will come from property taxes.

“When you talk about dollars and cents, it’s a personal matter and it’s a decision that each person has to make for their own family and their business,” Davis said. “We get information from customers and it’s up to them to make the decision that’s best for them.”

The Lincoln County Clerk’s Office will be mailing ballots to clients in the Hershey District, who are registered voters, starting July 19. First-time customers have until 5 p.m. on July 30. their registration form must do so before July 23.

Ballots must be in possession of the clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m. on August 10 to be counted. Drop boxes are located in North Platte, at the South Courthouse Gate, 301 N. Jeffers St., or the County Sheriff’s Office parking lot.

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