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School board holds policy review hearing, honors MHS graduate
McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook School Board held its annual policy review hearing Monday before recognizing an award-winning student, receiving updates on career and college readiness efforts, and reviewing the district's summer improvement projects.
The annual public hearing gave board members and community members an opportunity to comment on existing district policies before deciding whether revisions were necessary. No members of the public attended, and board members made no recommended changes.
All district policies are included in the parent/student handbook distributed to families at the beginning of each school year.
The board also welcomed 2026 graduate Abigail Schneider, who was recently named to the 2026 Omaha World-Herald All-State All-Academic Team. Schneider is the first McCook High School student to apply for and be selected to the prestigious academic team.
Schneider plans to attend Columbia University in New York City this fall to study biochemistry with hopes of entering a pre-med program.
"I'm excited to do some research there and explore the city," Schneider said.
McCook Senior High Principal Craig Dickes called the recognition a significant achievement.
"It really is a serious recognition, and a lot of time goes into selecting people who are deserving of such an award," Dickes said.
Dickes also delivered the district's annual Career and College Readiness presentation, highlighting efforts to ensure students are prepared for life after graduation, whether they choose college, the workforce or another pathway.
"We want to make sure our students have options," Dickes said. "Day in and day out, just about everything we put effort into is done in the spirit of trying to adjust our kids to either college or career."
Recognizing that college is not the right fit for every student, Dickes outlined opportunities available throughout high school to help students identify and pursue their interests.
"We are making attempts to try to be more responsive to what students want on a more granular level," he said.
Dickes noted that dual-credit opportunities have expanded over the years to include coursework in math, English, history and social studies, with additional offerings under consideration.
McCook Public Schools also continues to emphasize career readiness through programming designed to help students explore and prepare for a variety of careers.
"We aren't a school that has the ability to provide everything for everybody, but what we've done and continue to do is support more people in different areas that make sense for the school and the community," Dickes said.
Superintendent Jeff Gross echoed those efforts.
"No area of our school district has grown more in the last 10 years than college and career readiness," Gross said.
Turning to district operations, Gross reported that McCook Public Schools remains in a strong financial position as the fiscal year comes to a close.
"The district remains in a strong, highly stable financial position as we approach the conclusion of the fiscal year," Gross said. "Even with some expensive items hitting in the next 60 days with all the projects concluding, we're in pretty good shape."
The business office is currently focused on preparing the 2026-27 budget and processing applications for the district's food service program.
Gross also provided updates on several summer construction projects scheduled for completion before the start of the school year. Major renovations continue in the main hallway at McCook Senior High, while gymnasium improvements are underway at McCook Junior High and Central Elementary. New bleachers are scheduled to be installed at the junior high later this month, and work on the building's roof is nearing completion.
HVAC front-end upgrades also continue, with control installations currently underway for classroom reheat coils, boilers and chillers.
Gross reported that the district recently completed two major June compliance filings. The 2026-27 IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) grants have been submitted, and Nebraska Department of Education state reporting for the 2025-26 school year has been finalized.
In his first report as Chief of K-12 Education, Joel Bednar discussed the MPS Hub, a centralized platform designed to provide staff with access to instructional resources and strengthen districtwide communication and consistency. He also outlined staff development plans and preparations for the upcoming school year.
Looking ahead, new teachers will begin the 2026-27 school year with orientation Aug. 4-6. The rest of the district staff will return for in-service training Aug. 11-12 before students begin classes Aug. 13-14.
During his first board meeting as superintendent, Gross received praise from Board President Brad Hays.
"I know you'll do a fantastic job. So far you've made some subtle changes that I think have been really good," Hays said.
Closing the meeting, Gross thanked the many local contractors involved in the district's summer improvement projects and emphasized the district's commitment to supporting local businesses whenever possible.
"Weathercraft, Heads Up Sprinklers, W Design, Primetime Painting, Parde Electric, Heating & Cooling, Volz Plumbing Heating AC, and Kent Gerih Concrete — a lot of what you see is local," Gross said. "We try to keep as much of our taxpayers' dollars as local as we can. We're excited for people to see the work that's been done."