The Superintendent's Blog

This winter Millard Public Schools will bring a bond referendum to our community. The bond would address safety, security, and maintenance needs at all 35 schools. It would accomplish this without a tax rate increase.

As I visit with parents, staff, and community members, I’ve received questions like 'How can you have a bond without a tax rate increase?' and 'What will this bond do?' I appreciate the questions, and the answers are below. Fair warning - this is a long and complex blog. I’ve been told more than once I’m long winded! But I’m a teacher by both heart and profession, and I always find myself erring on the side of more is more. So please feel free to read as much or as little as you like, but I wanted to make sure you had access to all the details and also the community meeting dates. Feel free to join us! We will be going over the bond in person and answering questions.

• Dec. 9, 2024 - 6 PM - Millard South High School, 14905 Q St. - In the Cafeteria

• Jan. 6, 2025 - 6 PM - Don Stroh Admin Center, 5606 South 147th St. - In the Meeting Rooms

• Jan. 22, 2025 - 6 PM - Millard North High School, 1010 South 144th St. - In the Lecture Hall

• Jan. 30, 2025 - 6 PM - Millard West High School, 5710 South 176th Ave. - In the Lecture Hall

First, a quick note about the logistics of this election. It will be held by mail. All registered voters will receive a ballot. The ballots will be mailed on January 21st. In order for your vote to count, the ballot must be returned by mail or to the election office or a ballot box by 5 p.m. on February 11th.

The purpose of the bond is to improve student and staff safety, modernize learning environments, and maintain facility infrastructure. Let's talk about safety first. Following a comprehensive independent school safety and security study last year, we gained several valuable insights. It’s important to note that our safety protocols and staff response received positive reviews. Our staff does an excellent job of keeping our schools safe. But there were notable areas for improvement when it came to our facilities.

Most of our schools were built between 1960 to 1990 when safety was not as prominent of a consideration in school design. For example, currently 21 of our schools do not have secure entry vestibules - an essential feature for controlling building access. This bond would ensure every school is equipped with a secure entry vestibule. Click here to watch a short video which illustrates the safety value it brings to schools. Other updates include items to enhance safety features such as improved doors, locks, and structural measures. All 35 of our schools will share a more consistent, robust safety profile with the projects completed from the successful passage of this bond.

While safety is our highest priority, this bond also supports other critical needs. Enhanced instructional spaces for skilled trades will prepare students for careers in high-demand fields, ensuring they graduate ready to succeed in a competitive workforce. Interior renovations to our older schools will create more space for school programs, update aging classrooms, and address outdated facilities in a fiscally responsible manner. Updates to the Young Adult Program (YAP) facility will better serve Special Education students, creating a space more appropriately designed to serve and support the unique needs of this program.

A focus on updating and maintaining essential facility infrastructure is also a prominent component of the referendum. All 35 of our schools have issues that we strive to address routinely and proactively to limit costs. This includes roofs, HVAC, and other important mechanical systems. None of it is exciting, until it fails. That’s what we don’t want. It is also more financially efficient to fix this systematically, rather than on an emergency basis.

One of the most significant aspects of the bond is our ability to propose it without a tax rate increase. Through careful financial management over a long time, Millard has developed a bond cycle that allows us to manage debt responsibly while maintaining and upgrading our facilities. We maintain an excellent bond rating, and we have a regular bond and facility planning cycle. This allows us to routinely pay down debt and anticipate needs, which minimizes the burden on taxpayers. This was in place long before my tenure, and I want to give credit where credit is due. The Board of Education and retired leadership have been incredibly thoughtful in their long-term financial decisions, and I am forever grateful.

They have put us on a trajectory that allows us to keep, and in some cases even beat, our promises. For example when we last had a bond election, we told our community we would need to raise the bond levy by a cent, but no more. After all was said and done, we did not raise the levy. In fact, we were able to lower it by a cent and a half.

Millard Public Schools continues to be one of Nebraska’s highest performing school districts. We do this while also being Nebraska’s lowest per pupil spending district. Fiscally responsible excellence is a hallmark of our district's identity. This bond issue is no exception. For our size - 23,000 students, 35 schools, and more than 3 million square feet of facility space - you will find that a bond referendum of $158 million is modest by comparison to other school districts. The decision to pursue a bond now, and without increasing the tax rate, is by design. Responsible stewardship of our facilities and community resources continues to be at the forefront of the Board of Education and administration.

We encourage you to attend one of our upcoming informational presentations to learn more. You can also fine information on our website and in the Frequently Asked Questions document.

We look forward to engaging with you further in the coming months to share more about this proposal and to answer your questions. Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Together, we continue to build on the excellence that defines our district.

From Left to Right Back Row: Board Member Mike Pate, Board Member Lisa Schoenberger, Superintendent Dr. John Schwartz, Treasurer Amanda McGill Johnson, Vice President Mike Kennedy From Left to Right Front Row: Secretary Linda Poole, President Stacy Jolley

✉️ Email: MPSCommunicates@mpsomaha.org
🌐 Website: www.mpsomaha.org
📞Phone: 402.715-8200

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