Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Iowa School District Moves Forward on Long-Awaited Bus Barn

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/12/21

In the Spirit Lake Community School District in Spirit Lake, Iowa, the school board has awarded a construction bid for a project that Superintendent Dr. David Smith says has been in the pipeline for quite some time—a “bus barn” to house the district’s school buses. Following the completion of other district improvements like the addition of an Early Childhood Center and renovations to the middle school, Smith said there were enough funds left over to pursue its construction.

Dean Madigan of Madigan Construction was awarded the bid. “It will cost us close to $725,000 in the end with all our expenses, roughly around there, so we’re just really excited to get moving on it,” said Smith.

School bus

Smith said construction will begin soon and that the project is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 1. The bus facility’s new home lies south of the district middle school.

“We’re looking at one full, heated, completely insulated shop,” he said, “and then we’re looking at two other buildings—kind of more of a cold-storage concept to those two, where we will just have a shell of a building…As we move forward, we’ll add insulation. We’ll do other things to make it complete.”

Smith touted the district bus fleet’s perfect inspection record. He said that having a central, heated location for storage and maintenance will serve as a good starting point for future endeavors, as well as provide safety and security benefits.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Minnesota District Starts Construction on Early Childhood Learning Center

    Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools in Sauk Rapids, Minn., recently announced that construction has begun on a new early childhood learning center and a new outdoor activities complex, according to a news release.

  • Designing the Bridge Between Inclusivity and Independence in K–12 Schools

    Fostering independence is fundamental to learning and development for K–12 students. It offers many proven benefits, such as enhanced confidence, problem-solving, decision-making, and social skills. However, this foundational objective loses its impact if it’s not accessible and adaptable to all students. Inclusivity plays a critical role in cultivating independence and healthy autonomy for students, fostering positive student learning outcomes by uniting pedagogy with the physical learning environment.

  • University of Kentucky Reopens Scovell Hall

    The University of Kentucky recently reopened Scovell Hall, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), following comprehensive renovations to the 120-year-old facility in Lexington, Ky., according to a news release.