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Despite a pandemic, the district is moving forward on several of the projects, including two new high schools, a new elementary school in northeast Lincoln, additions to Wysong Elementary and Scott Middle School and others.

Operations Director Scott Wieskamp said contractors are eager to work and, although there have been some slowdowns in the supply chain for materials because of the pandemic, they’ve tried to order materials as early as possible so they’ll have them when needed.

The Lincoln Board of Education on Tuesday approved bids on three bond projects including:

* $459,774 to the Waterford Estates developer for the costs of streets and other infrastructure that touch the new elementary school site. LPS bought the land about 20 years ago and has been making payments for about the last five years on infrastructure costs. This was the last payment, made with bond funds. In more recent land purchases, the infrastructure costs have been figured into the purchase price, Wieskamp said.

* $30,400 to Olsson Associates for a topographical survey of roadway corridors at the high school site near 70th Street and Saltillo Road. The survey will be used to determine what grading will be needed, primarily along 70th Street, as part of the site development for the school.

* $436,010 to Olsson Associates for engineering work on the roads that border the new high school site in northwest Lincoln, including West Holdrege Street.

The school board has already approved a number of other contracts related to the bond issue.

LPS plans to open the northwest high school in 2022 and the one in southeast Lincoln in 2023.

The new elementary school near 102nd Street south of Holdrege Street is slated to open in 2022.