By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
The Geary USD 475 Board of Education heard from a room full of concerned citizens from Milford and Grandview Plaza Monday night on the subject of potentially closing the elementary schools in those cities. There was unanimous opposition to the idea from the public.
Dr. Beth Hudson, Board President, explained that they had an option of moving forward with hearings on the two schools. "Those hearings will not be held at this time. We'll mve forward when we have the data and information that they want to have available."
School officials will also talk with leaders in Milford and Grandview Plaza about how they can help, explained Hudson. "Correct we absolutely will." Brad Roether, Milford Mayor, asked the Board what the City of Milford can do to help the school district save the school in that community.
Comments from the public ranged from the school is the "daily heartbeat" of the Milford community and closing would fracture the local capitol to, "We didn't hire and elect anybody to close our school and if "you take the school out of Milford it will become a retirement home for Nebraskans." Nearby Milford Lake is known as a popular destination for some residents of Nebraska. Loud long applause followed many of the public comments.
Grandview Plaza City Clerk Janet Young commented that officials in that community found about the poential closure via social media, "are very disappointed that our school was on the chopping block on Facebook. Parents also found out on Facebook."
Advantages for closing Milford and Grandview Plaza that have been noted in the past would include a reduction in overhead expense and for transferring staff to fill vacancies within the district as 475 transitions into another school year. The closures could also possibly help the district become eligible for heavy impact aid in the future, which could help meet facility needs.
If closures occurred at some point in the future students could be transferred to schools in Junction City. But many in the audience protested that closures would instead send students outside the district to school in Wakefield.
The Board action did include approval of a motion on a public hearing for proposed closure of the existing early childhood center facilities but those students will be at the new early childhood center in the future.