NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – The North Platte Public Schools Board of Education met Monday to discuss declining enrollment and the future of Osgood Elementary School.

Due to low student enrollment, the district no longer has a use for the building and is considering putting it up for auction.

“The neighborhood that really fueled Osgood was Indian Hills, just south of the school,” said Superintendent Dr. Todd Rhodes. “Many of the residents are older now and don’t have children, so we’ve seen a significant drop in the number of students in that area.”

Enrollment in the district has steadily declined over the past five years, with K-12 enrollment now at 3,471 and preschool enrollment at 141.

“While we obviously want to see enrollment numbers go in the opposite direction, these numbers provide a little bit of positivity in that we’re not running out of space for our students,” Vice President Emily Garrick said. “So for those who have concerns about students coming in, this is reassuring, hopefully for them, that we have room, we have room to grow.”

Osgood Elementary has been mostly vacant for student use for some time, with only two staff members currently using the building as office space.

To watch the meeting in its entirety, click Here.

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