Superintendent Larson updates board on construction progress, school calendar and bus-pass deadlines

Superintendent Larson briefed the Brandon Valley School District 49-2 board on ongoing construction, summer programming and operational deadlines.

Larson said construction at the district's elementary school site is continuing with all trades on site and invited trustees to request site tours. Work on Sunshine Avenue (dirt work and gravel) has begun and will continue through the summer. Larson said Visions Construction received the contract for the middle-school addition and that the project is being phased and coordinated to limit impacts on locations such as kitchen facilities; he warned the work will extend into the next school year and will require close coordination with contractors.

Larson thanked the Siouxland Library and another partner for supporting the summer reading program and thanked custodial, buildings and grounds staff for summer maintenance projects across district buildings, including a large flooring project in the high school commons.

On the academic calendar, Larson said Aug. 20 is the first day of school for grades 1-12; kindergarten visit days are the Wednesday and Thursday before classes begin and kindergarten starts Aug. 22; the district's early childhood classes begin Aug. 25. Larson reminded trustees the annual meeting and public budget hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 21, 2025.

Larson also reiterated transportation deadlines: bus pass purchase and ridership notification opens July 1 and remains open until July 25; the transcript states that if a family misses that deadline "the soonest that you can begin to ride is Monday, September 29." Larson answered a follow-up question about the transportation-barn parking lot, saying subgrade work and gravel are complete and pavement should be applied when weather permits.

Larson's presentation was informational; the board moved on to routine business items afterward.