By Stacy Hawn, Bennington Public Schools

Updates & Reports Presented to the Board of Education

Throughout the meeting, building and district administrators presented reports and updates to the Board of Education. Click here to view the agenda with each presentation attached.

Reports included:

• Overview for elementary, middle school and high school
• Student Services
• Operations
• Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
• Superintendent
• Transportation & Facilities
• Nutrition Services
• Spotlight on the High Ability Learner Program
• Legislative Update

Dr. Plas Provided a Monthly Update to the Board

During each regular board meeting, Dr. Plas provides an update to the Board on various topics. You can view the full report online as an attachment to the meeting agenda. Click here to view the agenda.

This month’s report included an update on:

• Demographers
• Kindergarten Numbers
• State Aid

Curriculum and Personnel Proposals Approved

Dr. Thoendel and Mr. Feeney provided an update on the curriculum and personnel proposals for the 2026-27 school year. The Curriculum Committee met on March 9th to continue the process of determining which curriculum and personnel proposals to recommend for the 2026-27 school year. There were 50 proposals this year for consideration.

At the previous meetings, the BOE approved twelve of the 50 proposals while utilizing fund reallocations and special education reimbursements. The Curriculum Committee has continued to review proposals that were highly prioritized by both the Curriculum/Proposal Committee and the Administrative/BOE Committee. The table below shows the proposals approved.

District Purchases Approved

The Building/Finance Committee met on March 9th to discuss potential district purchases. These

discussions included transportation purchases. The Board approved the purchase of a new 10-passenger van for a total cost of $64,656. This van meets all federal requirements and was budgeted within the district vehicle replacement plan.

Summer Maintenance Projects Approved

The Building/Finance Committee met on March 9th to discuss the summer maintenance proposals and repair projects. There was discussion on the potential needs and repairs at each of the buildings. At the conclusion, the Building and Finance Committee unanimously recommended the following be approved for the 2025-26 summer maintenance and repairs. The District has acquired multiple bids when possible, on each of the items.

Board Approved Easement Request for District-Owned Land in Morgan Ridge

The Board of Education approved a request from the Metropolitan Utilities District for a small permanent water main easement on district-owned land in the Morgan Ridge development. This site, located along Rainwood Road between 156th and 168th Street, is planned for a future elementary school. The easement will support water service for the area, including the future school, and is located along the edge of the property in a way that does not impact planned building space. The request was reviewed with DLR and the district’s legal counsel and recommended for approval by the Building/Finance Committee.

Certified Staffing Report Approved

Dr. Blomenkamp presented the certified staffing report that included probationary teachers (in years 1-3), teachers in years 4+, and administrators. The Board approved the report and the retention of all certified staff presented.

Lunch & Breakfast Prices for 2026-2027 Approved

The Board approved a $0.10 increase for all breakfast and lunch prices for the 2026-27 school year. 

2026-2027	Breakfast		Lunch
Level	Daily Price	Weekly Price	Daily Price	Weekly Price
Elementary	$2.15	$10.75	$3.05	$15.25
Middle School	$2.20	$11.00	$3.35	$16.75
High School	$2.30	$11.50	$3.40	$17.00
Reduced	$.30	$1.50	$.40	$2.00
Adult*	$3.15	$15.75	$5.00	$25.00
Milk	$0.60	$3.00	$0.60	$3.00
Elementary (K-5) Snack Milk: $53.40 per semester

*Please note: adult prices are subject to change. The minimum adult meal prices are released by the state agency in the summer.