Buffalo Hills Elementary, (Jordan Neben, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — With Windy Hills Elementary going a full interior renovation this school year, those students have been moved into Buffalo Hills Elementary, a transition that the Kearney school board learned more about.
Jason Calahan, Windy Hills Principal, appeared before the board during their meeting on Monday, Sept. 9, to speak about the transition.
Calahan said that the philosophy of the transition is that there are two schools occupying one building. In total, there are now 516 students learning every day at Buffalo Hills.
The goal was to keep things as unchanged for possible, with the same classrooms maintained at Buffalo Hills, and the students from each building would have the same teachers, schedules, opportunities, support staff, etc.
The only time there is an increased number of students in the same space is lunch time in the cafeteria and outside during recess, Calahan said.
Transportation and access to Buffalo Hills was discussed in-depth prior to the transition. There are 64 Windy Hill students being transported by the “Igloo Bus,” while there are 52 students transported by bus from rural routes. The daycare bus handles 41 total students.
To avoid traffic jams, parents dropping off their children at school have specific routes in and out of the school. Buffalo Hill’s parents use 11th Ave. while Windy Hill’s parents are using Spruce Hollow Blvd.
In closing, Calahan said that there have been challenges but both schools are excited for this unique experience.
Also appearing at the meeting was Transportation Director Jason Sutton, who gave an update on the 2024 transportation requirements.
Sutton said, according to state statute, the district is required to transport students living more than four miles from their assigned school, students receiving special education transportation and students who are classified as homeless or in transition according to the McKinney Vento Homeless Act.
Detailing the registration process for the current school year, Sutton, said that registration is required every year and that the deadline this year was July 29, three weeks prior to the school.
The deadline is to allow for the planning of routes, Sutton said that without knowing the full number of students that need transportation, it makes planning more difficult.
He said there are currently families on a waiting list who live under four miles from their school. Sutton said waiting list students are routed if there is availability on a bus, they often rely on driver discretion and input.
Sutton said first priority was given to students who live more than four miles from their school, students that are involuntary transferred to another school building due to building enrollment, students that attend a specific school to receive specialized services and students that receive free or reduced lunch.
Second priority students are considered for routing based on: their distance from school, age of the student, physical geography, date of registration, bus capacity and recommendations from the school.
To date, Sutton said there are 526 students currently on bus routes, while there are 69 students on the waiting list. There are 81 students who are special education registered bus riders.
Next year, Sutton said they plan to use a three-priority system when planning transportation routes.
He said first priority would remain unchanged, second priority would consider those receiving special district services or involuntary transfers. The third priority would include everything from this year’s second priority.
Second and third priority students next year will only be allowed to ride on a bus if there is open availability.
The hard deadline next year will be July 26 and families would be notified of their status on July 31.
Sutton said their ability to provide transportation is wholly dependent upon the district’s ability to recruit, train and retrain bus drivers.
There were three recognitions that were brought before the board during the meeting.
The first was for KHS boys soccer team, which was awarded the United Soccer Coaches Association’s National Team Academic Award for their exceptional academic performance for the 2024 season.
This is the eighth consecutive season that the KHS boys soccer team has received this award.
The second was for Amber Taylor, Assistant Principal at Northeast Elementary, for being named the Region IV Outstanding New Principal of the Year by the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).
Taylor said she started her career at Northeast Elementary and, “loves my job and what I do every day.”
The third was for Chance Waggoner, Principal at Park Elementary, for being named Region IV Distinguished Principal of the Year by the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).
Waggoner thanked his staff and said they all work together each day toward the common goal of providing a quality education for their students.
During their regular agenda, the board approved the purchase of two passenger vans to be added to the KPS Transportation Fleet in the amount of $122,260.
The board also approved Trent Bosard, KPS Director of Facilities, to identify a Construction Manager at Risk for both the KHS south addition and Central Elementary construction projects.
Read more about the projects here.
In the same vein, the board approved a lease-purchase agreement with a bank or several related new additions to the new high school facility. It was noted that the Central Elementary project will be handled with district funds.
The next regular meeting of the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education will be held on Oct. 14, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Staff Development Room in the Administration Building.
