Axtell, Neb. – May 14th will be a big day for the Axtell voters. It’s the day the community will decide on the new school bond that has been proposed. The Axtell Board of Education has called for a school bond, not to exceed $5,495,000, to add classrooms, office space, and a more secure entrance to the current school building.
The Axtell school district has seen measurable growth over the last several years. Enrollment numbers have gone from 263 PreK-12 students in 2014 to 344 at the beginning of the current year, the highest in Axtell’s history. The higher numbers, bolstered by 38 students who come from neighboring districts, have caused some strain on space and resources. Axtell administration and the school board have worked for nearly three years to find a feasible solution. What began as a seven-year lease plan to expand the building has morphed into a public vote.
The bond will add seven new classrooms, provide a more secure entrance, and allow for offices and bathrooms to be remodeled. Axtell Superintendent Rob Gregory says the goal of the board was to find a “fiscally fair” plan to address the needs of the school district. “It’s always hard to sell something that’s going to raise the [tax] levy 9.2 cents,” he said.
Gregory said the “typical” route for districts is to ask for a certain amount, knowing it won’t likely pass, then present a smaller project. He says they skipped that first part and presented an amount that has already been “cut back”. Gregory feels the board is in tune with the community and are trying to be fair.
The decision to add to the school obviously didn’t come lightly, nor was it without cause. Axtell has seen new housing developments fill up with more on the way in recent years. The school will also add an elementary principal next school year, also an Axtell first. The elementary has seen enough growth that in order for the school to maintain favorable student-to-teacher ratios, they employ three roaming teachers that follow the largest classes as they progress through the grades.
The plan, however, does not come without its costs. Those in the district will see a rise in property taxes. For example, those who have a property valued at $250,000, their yearly tax will increase by $230. Irrigated crop land will see a yearly increase of about $527 per quarter. It’s a decision that will be left to the voters on May 14th.
Understandably, there will be questions and concerns about a variety of issues. Axtell has scheduled a pair of community meetings in order to address any issue face-to-face. The public is invited to the school on Sunday, April 21, at 3 pm and Tuesday, April 30, at 7 pm. A tour is offered an hour before each of the meetings begin.
A growing school district is, without a doubt, a good problem to have. The solution is always a complicated one, and Gregory feels that what they have proposed is fair and effective. He credits the growth to “our staff, our students, and our students’ families. That’s what makes this work.” Last year, Axtell was named one of the 10 best schools in Nebraska after earning an “Excellent” rating for Accountability for a Quality Education System, Today and Tomorrow (AQuESTT) by the Nebraska Department of Education.
For more information, including construction renderings, expanded tax levy costs, and detailed descriptions of the proposal, check out axtell.campaigninformation.org.
