Facts About the USD 251 Bond
Learn about the USD 251 Bond, one fact at a time! These facts are posted to our Facebook page first, so follow us there for the most up-to-date facts and information!
Thank You, North Lyon County!
As we wrap up this chapter, we want to take a moment to say THANK YOU, North Lyon County.
Thank you to everyone who followed this page, asked questions, shared posts, attended meetings, had conversations, put up a yard sign, and took the time to learn more about the proposed bond. Thank you to those who supported us, challenged us, and made sure their voices were heard. And thank you to everyone who took the time to head to the polls and participate in this important decision for our community.
Over the last several months, we have connected with people from across North Lyon County, heard personal stories, listened to concerns, and had conversations about the future of USD 251. We have been reminded how deeply people care about their schools and the communities they call home.
To the volunteers who gave up evenings and weekends, helped answer questions, shared information, and worked behind the scenes, we are especially grateful. So much time and energy went into making this effort possible, and we couldn’t have done it without you.
USD 251 Together started with a belief that every community matters and every student deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in a facility that meets their needs. That belief brought us together, and the connections made along the way are something we will carry with us.
We are proud to be part of this community and grateful for everyone who played a role in this chapter.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
With gratitude,
USD 251 Together Committee
Understanding Your USD 251 Ballot
When you go to the polls, you will see two separate bond questions:
Question 1 ($25.955M): A brand-new high school adjacent to the current K-8 facility.
Question 2 ($5.190M): A brand-new athletic complex.
Please note: Question 2 cannot pass by itself. If Question 1 fails, Question 2 is automatically denied. To support our schools, both questions need a YES vote.
Why does this matter?
Back in 1955, neighbors came together to build Northern Heights for kids who weren’t even born yet. They never met us, and they never asked for thanks.
Today, we have the chance to make that same offer for the next generation—building modern classrooms for kids who will never know our names, but will thrive because we stood together.
Somebody built the foundation for us. On Nov. 3, let’s stand 251 Together.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3!
Make a plan, know where you need to go, and make time to get out and vote. Every voice matters, and every vote helps shape the future of our communities and our kids.
Make your plan. Make your voice heard.
Sponsored by USD 251 Together, Nancy Wells treasurer
Makenna French: Northern Heights alum, coach, and local business owner (Watch)
Our Kids Deserve to Feel Believed In.
Makenna French is a Northern Heights alum, coach, and local business owner who started her business right out of a NHHS class!
She was a student the last time this bond didn’t pass, and she knows what it feels like to grow up waiting for your community to invest in your future.
Tuesday, November 3rd, we have the chance to make sure the next generation never has to wonder if their community believes in them.
Why Suzanne Johnson is Voting “Yes” (Watch)
After 50 years serving North Lyon County schools, Suzanne Johnson has seen firsthand how much our schools mean to our kids and our communities.
Listen to her perspective on why she believes it’s time to invest in our students and their future.
USD 251 Community, Do You Know Where to Vote?
November 3rd is Election Day, and we want to make sure everyone in our USD 251 community is ready to make their voice heard!
Whether you live in Americus, Admire, Allen, Bushong, or one of our surrounding rural communities, your voice matters, and your vote matters!
Take a few minutes before Election Day to confirm your polling location so you know exactly where to go. Click here if you’d like to lookup your polling place using your address.
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Our communities may look different, but we all share something important: a commitment to the kids who call USD 251 home.
Let’s make sure every voice has the opportunity to be heard!
This is about our kids. And every voice matters.
Looking Back to Move Forward: The History Behind Northern Heights
Nearly 70 years ago, four small communities faced a challenge that sounds a lot like the conversation we’re having today: how do we provide our kids with the opportunities they deserve when enrollment is low and maintaining separate schools is becoming difficult?
In the mid-1950s, Miller had just 17 high school students, Allen had 30, and Admire had 35. Miller was at risk of losing its accreditation after enrollment fell below 20 students for the second consecutive year. Bushong was also struggling, and the article described a town that had dwindled to just 16 residents after its bank failed in the early 1930s.
Operating separately, these schools struggled to offer a variety of classes, maintain accreditation, and afford the cost of educating so few students in separate buildings.
Rather than accept fewer opportunities for their kids, these communities chose to work together. When Northern Heights opened in 1957 with approximately 100 students, it offered opportunities the smaller schools couldn’t provide on their own, including science labs, business courses, shop, music, and athletics.
This wasn’t just about building a school. It was about giving rural kids more opportunities while keeping them in their own communities.
Today, we’re hearing that Northern Heights doesn’t have enough students to justify investing in new school facilities. But low enrollment was part of the very reason these communities came together in the first place. They recognized that their kids deserved opportunities, too, and they found a way to provide them.
Nearly 70 years later, we’re facing another decision about the future of our schools. The question is whether we’re willing to make an investment that supports the next generation, just as the generations before us did.
They made a choice for their kids and their communities. Now it’s our turn.
Hear From Bob Karr (Watch)
Bob Karr is a North Lyon County icon who has seen our community change over the years. Take a few minutes to hear from Bob as he shares why investing in our kids and looking ahead matters for the future of our community.