Voters in the Elkhorn and Douglas County West school districts will decide on bond issues November fourth.
Both school districts want to do new construction and renovations, to accommodate growth and update their facilities. The Elkhorn bond issue is for $63 million.
Elkhorn Superintendent Steve Baker says his school district has grown more than 8 percent over the past two years.
“We’re adding close to a thousand to 1,100 students every two school years now. So part of this bond issue is dealing with growth, it would include a couple new elementary schools, it would include funds to purchase land for a third high school.”
Baker says Elkhorn also wants to remodel open-concept schools, and modify entrances to improve security.
Douglas County West’s bond issue is $45.7 million dollars. Superintendent Melissa Poloncic says part of the bond issue focuses on fire and life safety upgrades.
“Having storm or tornado shelters at both our campuses, which we do not currently have. Fire sprinklers and fire safety improvements in all of the buildings, which we do not currently have throughout. Also securing our entrances and really identifying our entrances so that each individual building has its own, and they would all be secured and integrated.”
Poloncic says Douglas County West also wants to modernize its buildings and build new ones. She says the school district has grown four to five percent since 2008.