Getting Set For New School Year, in Beatrice

BEATRICE – The new school year begins in Beatrice next week. All teachers returned Thursday to prepare for the new year…with new instructors on board earlier for orientation.
It also means two police officers will trade regular patrol duties for their roles as school resource officers…a program Mayor Stan Wirth says the city continues to fully support. Officer Tim Price is statationed at the Beatrice Middle School, while Officer Zach Lauenstein is based at Beatrice High School.
The school resource officer program is jointly funded through the City of Beatrice and Beatrice Public Schools. Wirth says the officers, having filled those roles for several years, provide a lot of continuity as they work alongside students and staff.
Mayor Wirth says providing as much safety and security as possible is critical, at a time when areas of the U.S. are reeling from the shock of mass shooting incidents.
"Absolutely unfortunate and disheartening in every way, to see something like this. This is what needs to be avoided, in my opinion, at all costs. We're certainly going to, along with the school district, do whatever we can to try to prevent any kind of a tragedy like that, from happening", said Wirth.
With next week’s start of the new school year, traffic will increase around school buildings. In Beatrice, motorists are urged to use caution as pedestrian traffic picks up, at the start of the new year.
Next Tuesday is the first day of classes for grades kindergarten through ninth grade, with a half-day schedule. On Wednesday, it’s the first day of the new school year for grades ten through twelve. The Beatrice Community Preschool has its first day of the new year, next Thursday.