The next regular Board of Education meeting will be on July 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., at the District Office. All meetings are open to the public. Regular meetings are streamed live through YouTube and viewable on the District website. Special meetings, where there are action items on the agenda, will also be streamed live. Agendas for Board of Education meetings are posted on the district website the Friday before each meeting. Click here to view agendas and minutes.
Highlights from Monday's Board of Education Meeting
Updates & Reports Presented to the Board of Education
Overview for elementary, middle school and high school
Student Services
Operations
Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
Spotlight on the Middle School & High School Activities and Athletics
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:
Welcoming new administrators to BPS
Student Handbooks Approved
The Board of Education approved the changes to the 2026-2027 student handbooks. All handbooks will be updated on school websites by June 30th.
Revisions to Board Policies Discussed
The Board of Education discussed and considered to revise policies.This was a first reading only, no action was taken. The proposed revisions are mandated by approved bills from the most recent legislative session. The Policy Committee recommended changes to policies. The proposed revisions below will be voted on at the next regular Board of Education meeting.
Policy 1007.00 Education Agency Relations
Policy 804.02 Data or Records Retention
Policy 605.07 Part-time Enrollment
Policy 502.06 Transfers Out
Policy 502.02 Nonresident Students Option Enrollment/Policy 502.02R1 Regulatory Document
Policy 503.01 Compulsory Attendance
Policy 505.03 Suspension and Expulsion
Policy 611.07 Graduation Requirements
Policy 203.01 Organizational Meeting
Policy 204.07 Meeting Notice
Superintendent Contract Approved
The Board of Education approved a three-year contract for the Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Plas.
Dr. Plas Presented Demographic Study Report
Dr. Plas presented the District's demographic study completed by RSP & Associates. The study provided a comprehensive analysis of current enrollment, historical growth trends, housing development, and projected student enrollment across Bennington Public Schools. As one of the fastest-growing districts in Nebraska, this information will play a key role in long-term planning and decision-making. This report will serve as a baseline for the district's Strategic Plan growth goal and help guide future discussions regarding facility capacity, staffing, transportation, technology, budgeting, and other infrastructure needs as the district continues to grow.
High School #2 Update
BPS is excited to officially announce the mascot and colors for the second high school!
Following the successful 2025 bond election for our second high school, a Core Team made up of administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and community members began the important work of helping establish the school's identity.
After months of research, discussion, feedback, and collaboration, the Bennington Public Schools Board of Education has approved the mascot and colors for High School #2:
Mascot: Coyotes
Colors: Navy Blue, Silver, and Yellow
Watch the video below to see how this exciting next chapter for Bennington Public Schools was shared with the community.
The Coyotes mascot was selected because of its unique relationship with the Badger. In nature, coyotes and badgers share one of the most remarkable cooperative partnerships in the animal kingdom, each using its own strengths to achieve a common goal. This rare bond represents teamwork, collaboration, and shared success.
The color palette creates a distinct identity for the new high school while maintaining a connection to Bennington's long-standing tradition. Bennington High School will continue as the Badgers in Royal Blue, White, and Black, while High School #2 will begin a new chapter as the Coyotes in Navy Blue, Silver, and Yellow.
Different Mascots. Different Colors.
One Bennington Community!
We Are Bennington
Bennington High School Second Semester Honor Roll
Congratulations to the 599 Bennington High School students named to the Second Semester Honor Roll for the 2025-26 school year!
359 students achieved the President's List
To earn a spot on the President's List, students must have a GPA of 3.75 or higher and freshman through juniors must be enrolled in at least 7 graded classes and seniors must be enrolled in at least 6 graded classes.
240 students earned a spot on the Dean's List
To earn a spot on the Dean's List, students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and students must be enrolled in at least 4 graded classes.
Important Reminders
BPS is transitioning to Synergy!
Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, Bennington Public Schools will transition from NebSIS to Synergy. As part of this transition, families will receive detailed instructions later this summer for how to access the new Synergy ParentVUE Family Portal. You can anticipate receiving more communication in July.
Through Synergy ParentVUE, families will be able to:
Verify and update household contact information
Complete the required Annual Student Verification process
Sign up for bus transportation
View attendance, access grades, and view report cards
All families, including incoming Kindergarten families, will be asked to complete the online Annual Student Verification process in July to ensure student records are accurate for the start of the school year.
Additional information, including login credentials and step-by-step instructions, will be sent directly to families once the system is ready for access.
Synergy Transition Timeline:
June 4th: NebSIS for parents will be frozen on June 4th.
Parents can view information, but not edit or change information.
Any updates to phone numbers, addresses, emails, etc. will need to be completed in Synergy in July.
June 20th: Summer School at BHS will use NebSIS through June 20th.
June 30th: All NebSIS access will end on June 30th.
July: Synergy!
Step-by-step instructions will be sent directly to families for login credentials, account creation, and our Annual Student Verification process.
All parents will be asked to complete the online Annual Student Verification process in July to ensure student records are accurate for the start of the school year. This will occur in Synergy for the 2026-27 school year.
Additional information about Synergy, including login credentials and step-by-step instructions, will be sent directly to families once the system is ready for access.
Registration Days
Elementary
Kindergarten Roundup: July 30th & 31st
Elementary Schools will not have specific registration dates because this may be handled entirely online. If you need to drop off birth certificates or immunization, medication, and physical forms, the offices will be open periodically throughout the summer. Please call your child's school to schedule a time to meet with school staff.
Middle School
August 3, 2026
High School
August 4 & 5, 2026
Transportation Registration for 26-27 Begins in July with Student Verification
Transportation registration for 2026-27 is done when parents are completing their student online verification through Synergy in July.
2026-2027 Bus Routes
Families will receive a letter with the times and locations of pick-ups and drop-offs for each route. In order to ensure routes are as accurate as possible, letters will not be mailed until the week before school starts.
Bus Accounts with Outstanding Balances
As a reminder, families must pay any outstanding transportation balances before the start of the 2026–27 school year. Those with unpaid balances or without a payment plan in place may be placed on a waitlist for bus services.
If you have questions about your balance or need to set up a payment plan, please contact the Transportation Department at 402-238-2902.
Bus Pass Reminders
Bus passes are good through a student's senior year.
Be sure to put your student's bus pass in a safe place after the last day of school!
The transportation office will NOT create new bus passes until the 3rd week of school.
Students who have been issued a bus pass and have lost it, are subject to a $25 replacement fee.
There is no charge for the first initial bus pass.
Registration is now open for all Bennington Athletics Activities for the 2026-2027 Academic Year.
All BPS Athletes entering grades 7-12 need to be registered in BOUND to participate in athletics for the 2026-2027 school year. Please see below for more instructions on this process.
BHS: For any student that will be entering 9th through 12th grade at Bennington High School, you can begin registering your athlete for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. Click on the ‘Registration’ link at the top of the Bennington High School Bound Website. The drop down provides two choices: Click “Activities”
BMS: For any student that will be entering 7th through 8th grade at Bennington Middle School, you can begin registering your student for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. Click on the ‘Registration’ link at the top of the Bennington Middle School Bound Website. The drop down provides two choices: Click “Activities”
BSMS: For any student that will be entering 7th through 8th grade at Bennington South Middle School, you can begin registering your student for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. Click on the ‘Registration’ link at the top of the Bennington South Middle School Bound Website. The drop down provides two choices: Click “Activities”
Please go to the appropriate links above and complete the following.
Create a Bound Family Account. Search for and connect your students to your family account.
Update important demographic information on your student(s).
Upload your athlete’s 2026-2027 Athletic Physical (Required by NSAA rule) and Sign Off on NSAA Consent Paperwork.
Register for each activity that your child plans to participate in during 2026-2027. a. Steps 3 and 4 must be completed before the start of your child’s sport season for your child to participate in practices / competitions.
For further assistance, please click on the “Green B” in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen to reach out to BOUND support. The BOUND support feature is available once you have created an account and are signed into the system.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact your School’s Activities Director for more information.
Chris Kessell - Activities Director
Bennington High School
402-238-2447
Matt Wilson - Activities Director
Bennington Middle School
402-238-3082
Erika Hiemstra - Activities Director
Bennington South Middle School
402-238-3079
BHS Youth Summer Athletic Camps
Registration for Bennington High School Summer Camps is Now Open!
Camps available in Boys/Girls Basketball, Boys/Girls Soccer, Softball, Football, Volleyball, Girls/Boys Wrestling, Cheer, Boys/Girls Tennis, Boys/Girls Golf, and Track & Field.
*Use the grade the child will be in for the next school year.
**Please double check that you are signed up for the correct sports AND grade.
Community Resources
The Community Resources page on the BPS website shares information about local programs available to help families with food sustainability and other essential needs. From food pantries and meal assistance to community outreach efforts, these resources are here to help families have access to what they need.
The USDA’s Summer Food Service Program provides no-cost meals to children ages 1- 18 years at approved locations across the state.
To find information about summer meals sites near you, visit the SFSP Site Finder.
*Please note: The Nebraska SFSP sites will be available in the Summer Meals Site Finder after NDE approves site locations, which will be on approximately May 26, 2026.
Summer EBT (SEBT) Information
Summer EBT (SEBT) provides grocery purchasing funds on EBT cards to households with school aged children who qualify for free or reduced price school meals. These funds can help families cover the cost of food during the summer months when school meals are not available.
Most eligible children are automatically enrolled in Summer EBT, but some will need to apply.
Check to see if you need to apply today at https://bit.ly/4tB6zuz
Have questions or need extra support?
Visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Summer-EBT.aspx or call 800-383-4278 (select option 5).
Keep learning close to home this summer. Our In Your Neighborhood Camps are for kids ages 5 to 11 and are available at multiple locations throughout the metro area. These camps build curiosity, life skills and confidence while exploring engaging, fun topics.
Some of these exciting programs are Kitchen Chemists, LEGO® Engineering and Mini Med School.
Free STEM events are also available on Fridays at select locations.
Mike Trader’s Annual Mid-America Basketball Camp will conduct an individual session this summer at Bennington Middle School June 22-24. The individual camp is open to those 7 years old through 11th grade.
Cost for the camp is $170 (meals included) or $155 (without meals). Registration is from 8:00 am -9:30 am on the first day of camp (June 22) with camp ending at 4:00 pm. Camp will start at 8:30 am and runs to 4:00 pm on June 23 and 24. There will be an awards ceremony from 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm the last day of the camp.
Over 155 boys and girls who played in the 2026 State Basketball Tournament have attended Mike Trader’s Basketball Camp.
The camp has been one of the most popular camps in the Midwest during the past 39 years with over 37,000 campers having attended during that time.
This camp is well known for its great teaching of fundamental skills and having outstanding coaches from throughout the nation teaching the campers. It combines the teaching of these skills with team play and contests throughout the camp.
Bennington Composite NICA mountain bike team invites you to join us for Try-A-Ride!
Bring your bike and helmet so you can participate in fun bike games, learn some bike skills from coaches and student athletes, and do a short trail ride. This event is open to any student in the Bennington area who will be in 5th-12th grade in the fall.
Mountain biking experience is not necessary! If you can ride a bike, you can mountain bike! This is your chance to give it a try.
Need a bike and/or helmet? We've got you covered! Indicate on the form what you need, and we'll have one for you to use at the event. Registration is required.
The Bennington Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, religion, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, or other protected status in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Students: Mr. Dan Bombeck, Director of Student Services, 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 (dbombeck@bennps.org). Employees and Others: Dr. Matt Blomenkamp, Assistant Superintendent 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 (mblomenkamp@bennps.org). Complaints or concerns involving discrimination or needs for accommodation or access should be addressed to the appropriate Coordinator. For further information about anti-discrimination laws and regulations, or to file a complaint of discrimination with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education (OCR), please contact the OCR at 601 East 12th Street, Room 353, Kansas City, MO 64106, (800) 368-1019 (voice), Fax (816) 426-3686, (800) 537-7697 (telecommunications device for the deaf), or ocr.kansascity@ed.gov.
Title IX
The Bennington Public School District is committed to offering employment and educational opportunity to its employees and students in a climate free of discrimination. Accordingly, unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation of any kind by District employees, including, co-workers, non-employees (such as volunteers), third parties and others is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.
