Glenwood Elementary, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — After weighing different views on the subject, the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education approved converting Glenwood Elementary into K-5 alternative school in a 5-1 vote during their meeting on Monday, Dec. 9.
The concept of a K-5 Alternative School has been under consideration for many years, and KPS officials have been conducting research and visiting other alternative education programs across the state to ensure the district can provide the best possible solution for Kearney families.
“The idea for the K-5 Alternative School was further solidified with planned renovations to Glenwood Elementary and the move of its students to Buffalo Hills Elementary. Following this shift, district officials saw an opportunity to repurpose the Glenwood facility for the new alternative school, a decision that could offer a practical solution without incurring significant costs,” according to a press release from KPS.
“The proposed K-5 Alternative School aims to serve students who struggle with behavior challenges such as disruptive outbursts or violent actions like throwing desks, which hinders the learning environment in a traditional classroom. With specialized support and programming, the alternative school will offer a structured and therapeutic environment where students can develop the skills needed to return to regular classrooms successfully,” per KPS.
“We’ve explored several potential sites for the alternative school, but many came with high costs that exceeded our current and future budgets,” explained KPS Superintendent Jason Mundorf. “Instead of pursuing a bond issue, we’ve determined that this project can be funded through QCPUF and the building funds, without additional taxes to the community.”
“We have been discussing the possibility of an alternative school for K-5 students for quite a while, and with the success of the Hanny Arram Center for Success, we’ve seen the clear benefits of providing non-traditional education in a dedicated setting,” said Kathy Gifford, KPS Board Member.
The meeting room was packed with district residents and over 100 people watching the meeting via Zoom.
During public comment there were seven people who spoke, all urging the board members to vote no for the project, or at least delay the decision.
Several were parents of Glenwood Elementary students with several enjoying the close-knit community feel of the school, located outside of Kearney.
One asked why “acres” were needed for 20-30 children and felt this was “cheap way” to segregate students with behavior problems.
Amy Eigenberg, with Insight Counseling and Recovery, LLC, said that she is a resident of Buffalo County and felt that it would be harmful to displace thriving children from their home school and to segregate those children with behavior issues.
She said that those students moved to the alternative school could felt, “pushed out of society.”
A group of parents had collected over 1,000 signatures on a petition urging the board members to vote no on the project.
One questioned why the vote was being taken during the last meeting of the year with two outgoing board members, Steve Gaasch and Kathy Gifford. They urged that the incoming board members should have a say in this decision that they will have to deal with.
Jamie Banzhaf, a Glenwood parent, told the board members that they are not ready to vote on this project and said she has not heard solid reasons why this move is considered.
She said a survey of the parents should have been conducted to receive their thoughts on the matter.
Banzhaf also said she felt like the board has not transparent in this process and felt like the town hall meeting and post on social media – with the comments disabled, were merely checking the boxes and not actually interested in community feedback.
Another parent questioned as to how the district was going to address neurological versus behavioral issues of different students and if they would all be treated the same in this new alternative school.
There were other residents who asked if the school board had met with the Kearney city council, citing the fact that Kearney is expanding to the north. They asked if turning KPS’s most northerly elementary into an alternative school was a wise decision, given the growth of the town in that direction.
When the board came to the decision regarding turning Glenwood into a K-5 alternative school, Kathy Gifford made the motion to approve the project, which was seconded by Drew Blessing.
“While we understand that the prospect of changing buildings can be an emotional issue for families currently attending Glenwood, we are confident that Buffalo Hills Elementary—now underutilized— provides an excellent space for those students,” said KPS Board President Steve Gaasch.
“The Glenwood students will still be offered to have their same classmates, teachers, and programs. They will just be in a different building (Buffalo Hills). The size of the Glenwood building is ideal for the needs of an alternative school, and the alternative school students will benefit from the additional resources and attention,” Gaasch said.
When explaining the reason for their vote, Gifford said that there has only been an increase in volatile and disruptive behaviors, with teachers having to deal with these two to three times per day at times.
Gifford said that those teachers in the traditional classroom are being asked to do things that they were not trained to do when it comes to these behaviors.
Gifford said she was thinking about the nearly 3,000 students in elementary school and how they are impacted by these behaviors or outbursts.
She said she felt like the district has to try something and feels that this is the right decision.
John Icenogle, KPS board member, said that he had told people prior to the meeting that he had not yet decided on his vote. He noted he had received many comments from people who did not want the project to go through.
Icenogle did note he is “strongly” opposed to the location of the alternative school and could not support it with a vote. He said it wouldn’t be fair to parents on the south side of the community to have to transport their children that far north each day.
Paul Hazard, KPS board member, said he does support the alternative school at Glenwood and said he was concerned with students in the traditional classroom being displaced because a student had an outburst.
Hazard noted that many elementary teachers throughout the district were in favor of this alternative school. It was noted that more teachers at Glenwood do oppose the change.
Hazard noted that Glenwood would be undergoing renovations, whether it was turned into an alternative school or not, and that the students would be moved to Buffalo Hills for the duration.
He also noted he had some reservations about the location but noted that Glenwood and Buffalo Hills are only separated by two miles.
Amy Barth, KPS school board member, said that she has considered the decision with two questions, if it is needed and where will it be located.
Barth said that the district is responsible for providing a safe learning environment for all children, those in the traditional classroom setting and those who need more assistance.
Teachers have noted that the opening of an alternative school could positively affect their retention, Barth said, something school districts across the country are struggling with.
When it came to the vote and the timing, Barth said there was around $2 million in funds that could be used for construction, but they would have to vote in December and said they are already behind the construction schedule.
As stewards of taxpayer funds, Barth said the board had to take advantage of these funds and not pass additional costs onto the district residents.
Drew Blessing, KPS board member, thanked all the parents who reached out to him with comments and did note that Glenwood is a fantastic school with a proud history.
He noted that the behavioral issue is not unique to Kearney, with schools across the country dealing with the issue.
Blessing noted that those students with behavioral concerns deserve the exact same opportunities as their peers in the traditional classroom setting. He noted this alternative school could help provide those opportunities for those students.
Blessing did note the district wasn’t perfectly transparent and there is always room to improve. He noted that communication is the most difficult thing for an organization to fully accomplish.
Gaasch later added that this is not an easy choice for the board, but after listening to staff member about issues in the classroom, including students stabbing other with pencils, or punching a pregnant teacher in the stomach, they cannot delay this decision.
He said he hopes these students can be helped through this alternative school if their behaviors are addressed earlier.
The board voted 5-1, with Icenogle being the sole dissenting vote.
The new school is set to open in August 2026.
