LAWRENCE, Kan. — Parents at one elementary school in Douglas County are still in disbelief.
It’s been less than a week since one student had to be life-flighted to a hospital, after being crushed by a heavy iron gate being used at an on-site construction job at New York Elementary School.
That third grade student, eight-year-old Max McGill, was in class on Wednesday, as the school year opened at New York Elementary. A man who lives near the school says he’s among those who says he’s upset over the accident, and that it happened because construction workers acted irresponsibly.
“I was mostly concerned because a neighborhood kid had just been life-flighted off their construction site,” Greg Herrod told FOX 4 News.
Herrod says he wishes he’d said something sooner. He’s lived across the street from New York Elementary School for 17 years, and as a trained architech, he’s scrutinzed what he’s seen in the school’s ongoing construction project.
“It’s never been completely fenced off to be in compliance with code,” Herrod said.
Herrod shared an email he sent to the Lawrence Public School District, in which, he accuses workers from Combes Construction of acting irresponsibly as they worked on the school project. Herrod says he witnessed workers storing heavy machines in an unsafe manner, and construction workers allowing their children to operate the hydraulic equipment.
“None of that was secured when they went home at night. I saw kids go and play on the equipment. Kids will do that,” Herrod said.
Julie Boyle, a spokesperson for Lawrence Public Schools, told FOX 4 News the New York Elementary School is one of several school improvement projects the district is currently managing. She says the district has inspectors to ensure that all projects are conducted in a safe manner.
“It’s just a state of shock. You’re building right around a school. They need to be very secure. They’re dealing with the lives of children,” Stephanie Rogers, parent of a New York Elementary School student, said.
FOX 4 News spoke with Joe McGill, Max’s father, who said his son is doing better. McGill confirmed that his son returned to class today, but he remains in pain as he recovers from the accident.
