It was a celebratory day for the Gering Public School District on Monday, as students, faculty, staff, and the community celebrated the grand opening of the Gering Preschool at Northfield Elementary.
A ground breaking ceremony was held nearly exactly one year ago, and yesterday a ribbon cutting ceremony was held as the 5,000 square foot, $900,000 building officially opened its doors for learning.
Gering School Board President B.J. Peters says the addition of this facility is a major milestone for the district.
“Early childhood education is just not a benefit for the child. It’s an investment in their future and an investment in the future of our community ,and we understand that as your Gering Board of Education,” says Peters. “And this new building is evidence that we’re committed to continuing that effort into the future. And what made this effort even more special was the process that the district used to get this facility built.”
Funding was partially secured by Stacy Rodriguez, Gering School’s Director of Business and Finance, as she worked with the Nebraska Department of Education. Meanwhile, students from Travis Gable’s Construction Trades program provided the bulk of the labor for this project.
2024 Gering graduate Hayden Bennett was part of that program, and says he’s grateful for the opportunity that he and his classmates had to make their mark on the district and pave the way for future students.
“From day one we knew this project was special. We weren’t just building a structure, we were building a place for young Bulldogs, neighbors, siblings and community members to learn and play and grow,” remarked Bennett. “Knowing this made this group of kids take pride in what we are building and putting on siding and adding all the finishing touches. It’s one thing to learn in a classroom, but it’s a whole different experience when you’re building something that you see right here in the community.”
Also on hand for Monday’s ceremony was Rachel Sissel from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. She commended Gering Public Schools, noting that the collaborative spirit of the community and its innovation for this project makes it one that’s being talked about all over the state and beyond.