LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — District and school leaders joined family and community members to mark the official groundbreaking of the new Matt Kelly Elementary School on the Historic Westside.
The previous building stood for 60 years. The new $76 million facility is part of a larger $1 billion investment for the entire Historic Westside.
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Unlike most schools, which have one or two floor plans, this building features a unique design shaped by the community.
"Community input suggested what this building is going to be," said Principal Jerrell Hall. "So in addition to the school, there will also be a community resource center for the parents, an amphitheater, and a garden."
In addition to the garden, a learning kitchen will give students hands-on experience with the food they grow.
"We're also going to have a learning kitchen for kids where they'll be able to take those fruits and vegetables, the things that they grow in the garden, and learn how to prepare them into healthy snacks, healthy meals, smoothies," Hall said.
For students heading into 4th grade, the new school carries a special distinction — they will be the first class to graduate from the building.
"They've never been to a new school before, so they're going to be pretty happy," said parent Taneisha Winchester.
When school starts in less than a month, students will attend Fife Elementary School, one of the district's swing schools. The plan is to have them back in the new Matt Kelly Elementary School in the fall of 2027.
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