Still much work to be done considering locations for a new elementary school

Representatives of the Decorah School District and the City of Decorah continue to meet every other week to discuss the location of a new elementary school.

The two sides have been quiet about the process, but the Decorah City Council's two representatives to the working group have now made their first comments—comments that make it clear there's still much work to be done before any agreement will be reached.  City council member Johanna Bergan says she and fellow city council member Dan Bellrichard have been "challenging assumptions" made by school officials.  She notes that the priorities for the Decorah School District and the priorities for the City of Decorah "don't all match."

Bellrichard says new ideas come up before the working group and then get put down for study.  Bergan says the group has been "grinding through the proposals."

School district representatives want to buy the softball field across from City Hall in order to build a new elementary school.  City officials say the property is the last city-owned undeveloped land in downtown, so they want to preserve future options.