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Board approves Pegram–Lincoln Northwest site exchange after public comment about Kooser Elementary
Summary
The board approved a property exchange involving the Pegram and Lincoln Northwest sites despite a public plea to retain a parcel at 14th and Fletcher for a future school; board members said the land would not meet immediate enrollment needs and described the deal as prudent.
The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education on July 22 approved a property exchange involving the Pegram site and land in the Lincoln Northwest area after discussion about enrollment needs and neighborhood development.
During public comment, Stephanie Roy, a Kooser Elementary parent and district resident, asked the board not to approve trading a specific parcel at 14th and Fletcher that she said had originally been designated for an elementary school. “I ask you if you could please vote no on that today,” Roy said, adding that the parcel “is right where we need the land to build a school.” Her remarks were part of public comment; board members said they would follow up with her outside the meeting.
Board discussion reviewed planning work on elementary boundaries and enrollment. Several board members said the Pegram site and the nearby Lincoln Northwest parcel would not fix immediate classroom-capacity issues. One board member said they had driven the sites and concluded the district was “wiser to do this land change at this point in time” and supported accepting “the million dollars plus for this piece of land” because it would not serve the district’s near-term needs.
Board members also noted the district’s planning committee will continue analyzing enrollment trends and capacities, and emphasized that boundary and facility decisions are multi-step processes that interact with middle-school capacity and future bond timing. The motion to approve the Pegram and Lincoln Northwest site property exchange was moved by Barbara Beyer and seconded; the board approved the exchange by roll call.
Earlier in the meeting, staff noted newly annexed property assigned to Wysong Moore Middle School and Standing Bear High School would return for a future first reading; standing planning work covers multiple growth areas across the district.
Because the public comment request concerned a specific parcel, board members directed the parent to meet with them outside the meeting to discuss the parcel and planning options, noting planning committee work and future conversations about capacity will continue.
