Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Small-Town Native to Fund $40M K–12 Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/20/21

The Winifred School, part of Winifred Public Schools in Winifred, Mont., is set to receive a series of high-tech upgrades and renovations that would double the school’s original size. Upgrades to the K–12 school will include lab spaces, a woodworking area, an agricultural science space, a car repair space, and a full-size gym featuring an indoor track.

The project is the initiative of Norman Asbjornson, who grew up in Winifred and went on to found HVAC company AAON, Inc. Asbjornson is funding the entire $40-million project himself and expressed a desire to give back to his hometown, which has a population of about 200.

“I’m more than capable financially of doing a significant contribution, and I said, ‘Well, if you’re committed to it, then I’ll dial in. And if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right,’” he said. “I am guiding it a little bit to the architect and type of school, and making sure everything that could be done to make an outstanding school in the state of Montana.”

The school is partnering with A&E Design on the project. The school’s new layout is meant to encourage collaboration and encourage an active learning environment with multidisciplinary work spaces. “The vision, particularly from Norman and the design team as a whole, is that we could start to see this level of education facility ripple throughout the state—that this will be a model for others to look to and say, ‘How do I accomplish that?’” said Dusty Eaton of A&E Design.

In May 2020, AAON’s Board of Directors donated $1.25 million to the Winifred Montana Public Schools District in honor of Asbjornson, to be used for the construction of a new K–12 public school building.

“The town is becoming a better town all the time, and it’s raising a lot more prime citizens for the future, who will hopefully someday return the favor to the town when they’re capable and continue to make Winifred and Montana a better town and a better state,” Asbjornson said.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Agricultural Sciences Complex has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • 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.