Bond Forum Set For Monday; Fire Marshal Approves Plan

A public forum will be held at 7 p.m. Monday in the Neligh-Oakdale gym to discuss facility challenges and upcoming bond. The school also announced that its plan of correction for the West Ward facilities (P-2) was approved yesterday by the Nebraska State Fire Marshal's office.

Superintendent Kimberly Lingenfelter said she was notified Wednesday that Assistant State Fire Marshal Don Fritz formally approved the Board of Education's plan of correction in response to the eight-point order.

View the plan of correction

Lingenfelter said Deputy State Fire Marshal Sean Lindgren first visited the school on May 9 and issued a 16-point correction order for East Ward and the high school and issued an eight-point order for West Ward after his visit on July 10.

Lingenfelter said the first visit was due to a complaint from an anonymous caller who said she had children in the district and recently toured the facility during one of several community meetings about the school's facility challenges. 

"The fire marshal intended to visit West Ward on May 9 but was unable due to time restrictions," Lingenfelter said. "When he returned to personally clarify his orders to the Building and Grounds team, the fire marshal then went to West Ward to finish his inspection as originally indicated."

As listed in both approved plans of correction, the Board of Education will have a bond on the November ballot to fund the projects. The Board of Educated approved a $6.995 million bond proposal at last week's meeting.

Lingenfelter said the Board has advertised a question and answer forum on facility challenges and the proposed bond from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, at the high school gymnasium. 

"This will be 11th community-based meeting the building and grounds committee has held on facility challenges," Lingenfelter said. "That doesn't include the dozens of open meetings where facility challenges were on the agenda. The committee has not only been transparent in the process but has also utilized input from community members."

Lingenfelter directed the public to visit the school's website - www.nelighoakdaleschools.com - for more information on facility challenges and said she's looking forward to next week's forum.

"This is a great opportunity for the public to hear for themselves how the Board plans to move the district forward," Lingenfelter said. 

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