OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — 3 News Now reporter Jill Lamkins visited Omaha Christian High School to see how leaders are keeping construction on track, in contrast to delays faced by two new Elkhorn elementary schools.
- Omaha Christian High School delaying the start of the school year until September 2 to give them enough time to complete construction.
- Last week, the private school received its certificate of occupancy as well as its accreditation from the Nebraska Department of Education.
- We spoke to one mom who shares how the privaste school has been communicating updates with parents.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
From the struggles of completing construction on time at two new Elkhorn elementary schools to a new private school delaying the start of the year until it is complete, 3 News Now reporter Jill Lamkins visited Omaha Christian High School (OCHS) to see what leaders are doing differently to keep the project on schedule.
The final touches are going up at the new Omaha Christian High, from installing the sign to putting in furniture.
Three years ago, when administrators at Omaha Christian Academy realized they were growing rapidly, they teamed up with Lifegate Christian Elementary to create Omaha's first nondenominational Christian high school.
"We are right on schedule,” said Christi Krehbiel, the new principal at OCHS.
Krehbiel shared that there have been a few bumps in the road regarding construction.
"When you buy an existing building and you're renovating it, you really need to take into consideration all of the things that you inherit with that building,” Krehbiel said.
Despite the challenges, administrators worked with partners to determine a realistic timeline, delaying the start of the school year until September 2.
"We knew our building wasn't going to be done when the schools in Omaha were starting, and that's how we chose our date. Then we worked backward from that date with our construction company to make sure that we could make it happen,” Krehbiel said.
Sarah Yentes, a mom with two kids who will attend Omaha Christian for its inaugural year, said, "I'm not going to lie. I've kind of loved the September 2 opening because we just get a little bit of that extended summer.”
Parents in Elkhorn have shared frustrations with the district's communication. Yentes thinks Omaha Christian has done a great job keeping parents informed.
"We've seen all the updates, and we hear from the teachers and even the school board often about what's going on,” Yentes said.
Last week, the private school received its certificate of occupancy as well as its accreditation from the Nebraska Department of Education.
"We want to make sure our school is safe and that school can happen well here, so we were just really mindful of all those timelines. We didn't want to promise families something that we couldn't deliver,” Krehbiel said.
While the school is officially ready to welcome students, the work isn't done yet. Future plans include a sports complex and a second building to house additional classrooms.
