Julie Gortemaker, president of Seedling Mile Elementary School’s PTA, addresses the Board of Education Dec. 12 about the possible closing of the school, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Four women whose children currently or in the past attended Seedling Mile Elementary School and a Dodge Elementary School teacher addressed the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education Dec. 12 concerning the possible closure of Seedling Mile Elementary School.
Dodge Elementary School teacher Michelle Carter recalled that in the past, a Seedling Mile Elementary School fourth-grade teacher joined Dodge Elementary School fourth-grade teachers to work on curriculum issues. The Seedling Mile Elementary School teacher felt isolated working by herself and benefitted from working with the Dodge teachers, Carter said.
Dodge Elementary School is the closest school to Seedling Mile Elementary School and is the school that Seedling Mile students would be guided to attend. Current Seedling Mile students could also choose to attend other schools in the district. Seedling Mile Elementary School is the smallest elementary school in the district and is the only elementary school that has one classroom per grade. For some parents, the small size of the school is very attractive. On the other hand, Dodge Elementary School is one of the largest elementary schools in the district.
“We would welcome any Seeding Mile student to tour Dodge and see what Dodge is like,” Carter said.
Julie Gortemaker of Gunbarrel Road is the current PTA president at Seedling Mile Elementary School.
She described the situation as “awful” toward the start of the 2023-2024 school year when it was announced that Seedling Mile Elementary School would not have a kindergarten class. The seven students had little time to transition to another school.
She said that school district officials should have either closed the school or kept it as is at that time.
She said it would be important to provide transportation for Seedling Mile Elementary School students to other schools, because parents would be challenged to provide transportation.
“People want small schools,” Gortemaker said. With no kindergarten students, Seedling Mile Elementary School’s current enrollment is 82 students, with fifth grade having the most students (19).
Valerie Emery of Linden Ave. has two daughters who attend Seedling Mile Elementary School. She said it would be a hardship for some parents to transport their children to Dodge Elementary School.
“This is more than just about saving money,” Emery said.
Amanda Fieldgrove of Ft. Kearney Road said she has two children who attend Seedling Mile Elementary School.
“It’s a small community where you feel welcome,” she said about the school.
Jane Richardson of Kuester Lake said that she and her three brothers attended Seedling Mile Elementary School. Her late father, Bud Jeffries, used to have Board of Education meetings for District 74 (an “older” name for the school) at their home. Her three children attended Seedling Mile Elementary School, and she has grandchildren who would attend the school.
“I don’t know what you would do with an empty building,” Richardson said.
At another point in the meeting, Superintendent Matt Fisher said that the school district would keep the building but did not have any immediate plans for its use.
