Community members joined school officials of local to lend insight for possible future renovations in Emporia.
Representatives of HTK Architects, based out of Topeka, were on hand for a pair of community meetings Monday evening at two local elementary schools. The meeting allowed parents and school staffers to offer ideas on possible additions and updates to the school buildings.
The first meeting was held at Riverside Elementary, where parent Britani Davis shared her desire to see more front door security at all times of the day.
Among other suggestions at Riverside was a desire for more space, cleaner facilities, storage for supplies, independent study rooms, faculty restrooms and updated technology in each classroom.
During the Village meeting, a common issue brought up was the need for larger parking areas. Parent Jennifer Newman believes updates to the parking lots will make drop-offs and pickups more efficient.
Before the series of meetings began Monday, HTK Architects conducted a series of walkthroughs to assess what they believe to be the biggest needs for each facility. Architect Zach Snethen (Snee-Then) says they will next take the information gathered before the school board to asses how the community desire matches with goals set by board members.
Monday was just the beginning of a series of community meetings which will be taking place in Emporia. The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m. at William Allen White. A complete meeting schedule is available online at KVOE.com.
