Minnesota K–12 District Starts Construction on New Elementary School

Le Sueur-Henderson Public Schools in Le Sueur, Minn., recently announced that construction has begun on a $40.4-million elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with construction management firm Kraus-Anderson and ATS&R Planners, Architects, and Engineers, and the new school has an estimated completion date of August 2024. The project is being funded as the result of a $39.9-million referendum that local voters passed in August 2022.

Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School will measure in at 113,090 square feet and stand two stories. Features will include new classrooms and labs, a music room, a Kids’ Club, a cafeteria, and administrative space, the news release reports. It will also feature a 30,000 square foot field house featuring a three-court gym and locker rooms, as well as a 6,000-square-foot storm shelter. Other amenities include safety and security upgrades, a new parking lot, designated space for bus drop-offs, and two outdoor playground areas, the news release reports.

“The new school will bring 21st-century learning and opportunities to the next generation of Le Sueur- and Henderson-area students,” said Kraus-Anderson senior project manager Shane Butler.

Local news reports that the building is being designed according to modern learning standards, featuring flexible learning spaces and classroom pods. Once complete, the new school will serve as a single, unified space for all of the district’s K–5 students. The district has already sold one of its facilities, Park Elementary, which will be converted into housing units. Once construction is finished, the district’s other existing elementary school—Hilltop Elementary—will become an Alternative Learning Program facility.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.

  • University of Illinois Moves Forward with College Sports’ Largest Digital Scoreboard

    The University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., recently announced a series of upgrades to Gies Memorial Stadium that will include the largest scoreboard in college sports, according to a news release.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.