Residents of Auburn Public Schools District 29 will soon receive a phone call asking for their input on the district’s future facility needs.
District leaders have hired a firm to conduct a community survey to help guide potential improvements to school buildings and facilities. The survey results will help determine whether the district pursues a bond issue that could appear on the November ballot.
Superintendent David Patton said the goal is to gather meaningful feedback from district residents before the school board considers its next steps.
The survey will be conducted using live callers and the process is designed to reach a statistically significant sample of registered voters within the district.
Ryan Jones, vice president of the Auburn school board, said the results will be broken down by demographic groups, such as whether respondents currently have children attending school in the district. The results will be anonymous.
“That detailed data will help inform our decisions as a board,” Jones said.
District leaders say several facility needs have been identified, including space constraints at Calvert Elementary School.
Patton said the elementary school is currently experiencing significant crowding and the school system as a whole has experienced steady growth for the last five years.
“At times there are more students attending Calvert than the combined enrollment at the middle school and high school,” he said.
The district is also examining possible improvements to performing arts facilities, which could include converting the current gym into a performing arts space or constructing a standalone performing arts center. If the gym were converted, a new gymnasium would need to be built.
Other potential improvements include safety and security upgrades at the middle school, such as creating a secure entrance with a foyer barrier.
Infrastructure issues are also part of the discussion. Patton said the boiler system at Calvert Elementary dates back to the 1950s and has required repeated repairs over the past several years.
Jones said many district facilities are simply aging.
“We have one of the oldest gyms in southeast Nebraska and our conference, and our performing arts area is also very dated,” he said. “We’re not trying to build something extravagant. We’re really just trying to catch up.”
A comment from a community member at a previous meeting captured that sentiment, Patton said.
“They said, ‘We’re not asking for anything more than to be on par with the rest of our conference in our area,’ and I think that really sums it up,” he said.
District officials emphasize that no final decisions have been made about the scope of a potential project. While the district has explored various concepts and cost estimates over the last 10 years, the survey results will help determine what direction the board takes.
“We’ve looked at multiple options over time so we understand what things might cost,” Jones said. “But we haven’t made a decision. This survey will help guide us.”
If the district moves forward with a bond proposal, it would likely appear on the November 2026 ballot. Before that happens, Patton said the district plans to hold public meetings to share information and hear additional community feedback.
“We don’t want anyone to feel surprised by the process,” Patton said. “Transparency is important.”
School leaders say the district also plays a key role in the local economy and adds entertainment value in the form of plays, music performances and athletics. In addition to educating students, the district is one of the largest employers in the area.
“About 80 percent of our budget goes to people,” Patton said. “Those employees are buying groceries, paying mortgages or rent, and supporting local businesses.”
Jones added that schools are often a major factor for families deciding where to live and investing in that is important.
“We’ve had people tell us they moved here because of the school district,” he said. “Our enrollment growth over the past four or five years reflects that.”
District leaders encourage residents to participate if they receive a survey call.
“At the end of the day, we just want people to respond,” Jones said. “The more participation we have, the clearer the picture we’ll have of the community’s priorities.”
Survey calls are expected to begin next week. The survey, which is just 20 questions, should take no longer than 5-10 minutes to complete. The school board and administrators plan to share the outcomes when completed.
