JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER Because of high enrollment numbers in the lowest grades, school officials from Freeman Public Schools are considering re-configuring classrooms on the elementary side of the campus to allow them to, next year, split this year’s kindergarten class of 30 and first grade class of 28 into two sections. Freeman Elementary currently serves students in grades K-5, and is also home to Growing Dreams Learning Center, a daycare and preschool that is not part of the school district but has been using its facilities since 2019.

Freeman Academy will not have school on Friday, in part because of the weather, but "also use it as a day to get people healthy," said Head of School Nathan Epp. FA is scheduled to have class on Monday, Jan. 17. 

Menno Public School dismissed its students at 1:15 p.m. Thursday because of a large amount of illness in the building. School and all activities will be shut down through Monday.

Flags are flying at half-staff through sunset Thursday in tribute to Sen. Harry Reed, who died Dec. 28, 2021 at the age of 82. The Nevada lawmaker served in Congress from 1987 to 2017 and was the Senate Majority Leader from  2007 to 2015.

Because of an increase in illness in both staff and students, Freeman Public dismissed school at 12 p.m. Thursday and will canceled classes on Friday, Jan. 14. There is no school Monday, Jan. 17 because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. All practices and activities are canceled during that time and the building will be shut down. "Please use this time to stay home and get healthy," Superintendent Jake Tietje said in a message to district patrons. 

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER An all-sports cooperative between Freeman Public, Marion and Freeman Academy took a step forward Monday night, Jan. 10 when the Freeman Public School Board voted 4-1 to approve a proposal presented by its own task force. But what will ultimately happen remains in question based on the response from the other two governing boards: Also Monday, the Freeman Academy Board of Directors voted to table the issue because it wants more time to consider the proposal.

The Marion School Board neither approved nor rejected the all-sports cooperative proposal given to them by the Freeman Public School District last week. Instead, board members agreed to see if there was any room for negotiation that would make it feel more like a partnership. The 60-minute discussion took place at the Marion School Board's regular monthly meeting Tuesday night, Jan. 11.

The Freeman School Board voted 4-1 Monday night, Jan. 10 to approve an all-sports cooperative with both Marion and Freeman Academy as outlined by a Freeman Public task force put in place earlier this summer.

A formal proposal for an all-sports cooperative between Freeman Public, Freeman Academy and Marion is on the table and will be taken up by all three school boards early this week.