ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — On Monday at the Elkhorn Public School board meeting, the district provided an update on construction at Stone Pointe and Iron Bluff Elementary. Caregivers who attended asked for more transparency.
- At Tuesday night's Elkhorn School Board meeting, Ryan Lindquist, the district's executive director of business support services, provided an update on both schools' progress.
- Both are in line with the timeline the district released in August with the exception of sod and landscaping.
- "I have a lot of concerns and I wish we had a lot more transparency with the district so we knew what was going on so we can make informed decisions for our kids."
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Two Elkhorn Public Schools elementary buildings that started the school year still under construction are nearing completion, but some parents remain concerned about safety and transparency.
Stone Pointe Elementary and Iron Bluff Elementary both opened in August with ongoing construction, prompting safety concerns from parents like Chelsey Massa, whose three children are supposed to attend Stone Pointe.
"It just seemed odd to me that we were told after school started and that we had no like time to prepare for this or make other decisions for our students," Massa said.
Massa pulled her children out of school after the first day due to safety concerns with the ongoing construction work.
At Monday night's Elkhorn School Board meeting, Ryan Lindquist, the district's executive director of business support services, provided an update on both schools' progress.
"So Stone Pointe and Iron Bluff elementary are both following the timeline the district released with the exception of sod and landscaping, which pending weather we hope to have mostly completed this week," Lindquist said.
Lindquist reported that the playground at Iron Bluff was completed two to three weeks ahead of schedule and the cafeteria is now open. At Stone Pointe, the kitchen is still pending a food permit from Douglas County but should be operational within the next week.
Despite the district's updates, Massa and other caregivers say they need more transparency about the construction timeline and safety measures.
"I think every other building in Elkhorn is safe right? They have their cameras, they have the locked doors and Stone Pointe, it doesn't. So I just, I just, I have a lot of concerns and I wish we had a lot more transparency with the district so we knew what was going on so we can make informed decisions for our kids," Massa said.
According to the timeline the district shared with parents in August, the art room and media center at Stone Pointe are expected to be complete by September 19. The C-wing is scheduled for completion by October 31.
