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
• District Transportation, Facilities, & Operations
• Spotlight on Summer School

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:

• Synergy Transition
• Start of Year Items
• NASB Area Membership Meeting
• Timeline for Budget Process

Update on Summer Maintenance & Purchases Provided to the Board

Dr. Blomenkamp presented a progress update on the previously approved summer maintenance. Items that have been completed are:

• Concrete repairs that included fiber concrete repairs across the entire district. Full concrete replacement was completed in four large areas at Heritage Elementary, and one area at BSMS.
• The original carpet at Pine Creek Elementary from 2009 was replaced in July as part of the five-year maintenance plan.

Items that are in-progress are:

• HVAC replacement at Bennington Elementary. All rooftop units have been installed and are fully operational. Wireless thermostat installation will be completed over the new two weeks.

District Purchases Approved

The Building/Finance Committee met on August 3rd to discuss potential district purchases. These

discussions included transportation purchases and safety enhancements. The Board approved following purchases: 

• A new 10-passenger van for $62,888.
  • This is a new 10-passenger van meeting all federal requirements. This van was budgeted within our district vehicle replacement plan.
• Protective netting and canopy for the BHS tennis courts for $56,325.
  • This purchase would be for protective netting and a canopy for spectators and athletes at the BHS tennis facility. The addition of boys tennis in the fall will coincide with softball, creating the need for additional safety measures.

Update on the 2025-26 Budget Presented by Dr. Plas

The Board received an update on the 2025-26 budget from Dr. Plas. He shared what the projected general fund expenditures and revenue are for 2025-26. For more information, click here to view the attachment from the agenda.

Dr. Plas Provided a Review of the 2026-27 Enrollment Projections

Dr. Plas provided the Board with multiple charts showing updated enrollment numbers, as of August 6, 2026. The first chart provided showed the total enrollment (K-12) at 4,538 students. Along with current numbers, he provided historical numbers to show the percentage of growth increase. For the 2026-2027 school year the district has 2.83% enrollment growth. Click here to view the charts shown.

The last chart Dr. Plas provided the Board showed past, current, and projected enrollment numbers with the capacity at each building level. This chart shows that our high school will be at 115% capacity in 2027-2028. With projected enrollment, the chart shows that our elementary schools will be at 90% capacity in 2031-2032. With South Middle School opening in 2022, our middle schools have room for projected enrollment growth.

High School #2 Update

High School #2 will be named Bennington South High School

The Board approved Bennington South High School as the name of the District’s second high school, which will open for the 2028-29 school year. The name maintains a strong connection to the Bennington community while providing a geographical identifier that supports the District’s continued growth and future planning.

Bennington South High School will open in 2028 with 9th-11th Grade

The Board approved opening Bennington South High School with students in grades 9-11 for the 2028-29 school year, with grade 12 added the following year. This approach will help reduce enrollment pressure at Bennington High School, providing both high schools with strong academic and activity programming, and allow current students to complete their senior year at Bennington High School. Attendance boundaries for the two high schools are expected to be established in the fall of 2027.