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

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.