Elkhorn South not old school

When Elkhorn South High School opens next fall, it will feature all the trappings of a modern school building: geothermal heating and cooling systems, banks of windows to bring in natural light and miles of cable to support Internet access.

But that doesn't mean the school follows a boiler-plate design.

Teachers and staff visited new schools in Lincoln and Kansas City and provided input. Shop teachers came up with the idea of adding a storage area above the enclosed classroom within the high-ceilinged wood shop. Architects incorporated several E's in the building's exterior design.

Work continues slightly ahead of schedule, with the district set to take occupancy in May, said Mark Kalvoda, the school's principal, who skirted painters and stepped over construction materials on a recent tour. The structure is a dominant presence on the east side of U.S. Highway 6 south of Pacific Street.

The district recently began taking transfer requests for staff positions throughout the school system. The annual process was moved ahead several months to accommodate open positions at the high school and the new West Dodge Station Elementary, which also opens next fall.

High school staff and students will be split roughly in half when the new school opens. Dodge Street is the dividing line between the high school attendance areas.

Curriculum, with a few exceptions, will replicate coursework at Elkhorn High School, Kalvoda said.

Another directive — this from the school board — was to provide a small-school feel, in keeping with the small-town feel of the Elkhorn community, said Curtis Johnson, architect and project manager for the DLR Group, which is designing three new schools for the district.

Architects carved the building into “small learning centers.” Rooms for elective classes are situated north of a central spine, core classes to the south, except for the eight science classrooms in the middle.

Classrooms were grouped in “pods,” with office space between each pair, to foster collaboration, Kalvoda said.

The media center — the library to those who truly are old school — also lies in the middle, where it's easily accessed from anywhere in the building.

Large banks of windows face north and west. While they offer a sweeping view, including one of the new middle school under construction across the highway, the main aim is to bring in daylight. It's another theme repeated throughout the building.

“Windowless classrooms are definitely not conducive to learning,” Johnson said.

Another hallmark is security. One of two main entrances can be closed after morning bell, diverting all other incoming students and visitors through the main office. Such office-only entry has become more common in new schools and remodeling projects. Johnson noted that Elkhorn's design steps up the trend. The principal's window-lined corner office faces the main student parking lot, as do other administrators' offices. Everyone entering the school will walk right past.

Said Kalvoda, “If there's something going on, you can see it from here.”

Another feature are the wide hallways. The main one is 15 feet wide, not counting space for lockers.

Kalvoda said such features allow room for growth, which shows no signs of slowing in the Elkhorn area. Enrollment was up about 6.5 percent this year.

Elkhorn South already has an area plotted for an addition. All contractors will have to do is open up the end of one of the north-south hallways.

Megan McCarthy, a sophomore at Elkhorn High this year, said she's looking forward to walking those wider hallways next year.

“It's going to be nice to get to get from one place to another in a fluid motion,” said McCarthy, a student council member.

Still, the opening of the new school will mean some adjustments. Seniors will stay and graduate from Elkhorn High, so McCarthy's then-junior class will have to step up and provide leadership in the new building.

Some friends will be split between the two schools, although most of McCarthy's friends will go to Elkhorn South. She just got a letter jacket, so she'll have to decide whether to get a new one in Elkhorn South's colors.

The transition will be easier for her brother, Alec, an eighth-grader, who will come in with his class from Elkhorn Ridge Middle School.

Sports fans will have a hard time seeing Elkhorn's talent pool divided, he said. But the new school will create more opportunities for kids to participate in sports and other activities.

“One thing our class is looking forward to is maybe getting to play junior-varsity our freshman year,” said McCarthy, who plays baseball and football.

Kalvoda said everyone eventually will settle in. The new school is adding something to the community, not taking it away.

“We're still Elkhorn,” he said. “We're Elkhorn Public Schools.”

Contact the writer:

444-1223, julie.anderson@owh.com

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