Kearney School District is making progress as promised to voters with the launch this week of the next major capital improvement project funded by the Proposition B zero-tax-increase bond.

Work started on Monday, March 4 at Southview Elementary School that will result in a new administrative area with improved security and student services rooms, plus additional spaces designed for the type of collaborative, project-based teaching and learning that are the hallmarks of 21st-century classrooms. The project is being run by the district’s construction firm, Newkirk Novak.

“The goal of this project is to help ensure that Southview Elementary is ‘future-ready’ to serve the needs of our students, family and community,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “The renderings drafted by our architects, DLR, align with KSD’s long-term facility plans, and will be the model we will use for similar projects at our other elementary schools in the next 18 months.”

As always, the safety and security of students, staff members and visitors will be the district’s top priority during this project. Newkirk Novak specializes in managing major projects for public schools, and they will use that experience to help keep everyone safe and minimize anything that could disrupt teaching and learning.

A large portion of the front of the school and playground will be fenced off for the project. Part of this involves blocking access to the school’s horseshoe drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Buses will still be able to use that drive in the morning and afternoon. Regular drop-off and pick-up will remain in the same location. Parents/guardians who need early drop-off or late pick-up will need to use the curved drive in the parking lot directly to the south.

Here is an overview of the project schedule for the next couple of weeks:

- March 4 - Modifications to the bus loop will begin. This will not impact school activities.

- March 13-16 - Demolition will begin overnight (9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.) on the canopy over the front entry. All areas will be safe and cleaned before school starts the next day. This will not impact school activities.

- March 16 – Construction fencing will be set up and a covered entrance at the front door will be installed.

- March 18 – The bus and Kids Club pickup/drop off loop will only be open before 9 a.m. and after 3 p.m. Anyone needing access between those hours will need to use the alternate Southview access.

This schedule may change depending on the weather and other factors. The work is projected to be completed in early August. Kearney School District will provide regular updates for staff and parents/guardians with additional details as this project proceeds.

Kearney School District voters approved the $44 million Proposition B zero-tax-increase capital improvement bond in April of 2022. The revenue from this bond goes into a separate fund that can only be used for these types of projects and cannot be used for any operational spending on things like salaries and benefits. Approval of the bond issue did not increase the district's property tax rate.

The Southview Elementary project is just the start of similar additions and upgrades planned for Dogwood Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary and Kearney Elementary. That work is anticipated to be finished by the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

Other Prop B projects that have already been completed as promised include:

- Expansion and upgrade of the Early Education Center

- Kearney High School auditorium improvements

- Additions to the sixth-grade bathrooms at Kearney Middle School

- Roof repairs at Kearney Junior High

- HVAC replacement at several sites

Visit www.ksdr1.net/bond2022 to learn more about Prop B.

KPGZ news - Ray Weikal with the Kearney School District contributed to this story