Elizabeth Forward students start new year at high school still under construction

Students in the Elizabeth Forward School District are back for their first day of the new year at a high school still under construction. 

For students in the district's high school, there have been some changes over the summer, and they'll notice a lot of them.

"Not a lot of glamorous stuff, but all that stuff is really important," said Superintendent Keith Konyk.

Crews continue to work on the auditorium, which was heavily damaged after a fire in 2023.

"I remember waking up that morning thinking, 'Oh, I got to go to school tomorrow, this and that,' and my mom walking in my room and going, 'Honey, your school's on fire,'" senior Edward Denney said.

It's being turned into a new gym, which will complement the one that already exists next to it. The new auditorium is being built on the other side of the school. When finished, it's supposed to seat 1,000 people. 

The superintendent said the auditorium will not be done until next school year. The gym renovations should be finished by January 2025.

"Our auditorium is continuing to be framed," Konyk said. 

In addition, new windows have been put into the high school building. Konyk said every single room had a new ventilator put in, along with new sprinklers being added throughout the entire building.

He said outside work continues as well, including with the parking lot to make more space. It was a busy summer for the district, but Konyk said he did not want to delay the start of the school year, especially for the high school's seniors.

"These kids are special to me and I want to make sure that they have a good school year," he said.