During Spring 2020, members of the Springfield Platteview Community Schools District will vote on whether or not to pass the 2020 Elementary Schools Bond. Voting must take place before or on the date of May 12. According to Superintendent Brett Richards, “The $28.5 million bond would be used to replace the existing 56-year-old Springfield Elementary School building with a brand new school and complete improvements to Westmont Elementary School, with no increase to the overall tax levy. The district is able to do this under the current funding system for school districts in Nebraska.”

The bond, if passed, will benefit both Springfield and Westmont Elementaries in four key ways, providing increased safety and security, adequate learning space, reliable infrastructure, and room for growth. SPCS Director of Public and Community Relations staged that the bond will allow for preschool education to take place at Springfield elementary as well as enough space for “more breakout sessions for special education.” Baugh also said that Springfield Elementary “was built for 1964, not 2020,” referring to the present need for both more security and a more open building layout.

The last bond issue that was voted on failed to pass in 2014. The bond would have provided improvements in all of the schools in the SPCS district. Contrasting this bond to the 2014 bond, Baugh stated, “I think the main difference between this and the previous bond is that there is a zero percent increase in the tax levy.” 

A bond committee comprised of community members is working to try to get the 2020 bond passed. There will be opportunities for the community to learn more about the bond in the upcoming weeks. Superintendent Richards said, “For more information about the bond issue, Administrators, Board members, architects, and others will be at each of the schools for questions on February 26 and 27 during Parent -Teacher Conferences. We will also be holding a community meeting on Wednesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Springfield Memorial Library.”

The video below further explains how both elementary schools in the SPCS district will benefit if the bond passes in May.