Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

North Dakota District Prepares for New High School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/18/22

The planning process for a second high school for Minot Public Schools in Minot, N.D., is underway after voters passed a $109-million bond in December 2021.

The district is currently preparing schematics to determine the facility’s layout and contents; once those schematics are complete, the plans will enter the design and development phase and get details like furniture and fixtures. The district’s most immediate goal is to have construction drawings and to be preparing for project bidding by spring.

In addition to the new construction, the district also plans to convert its existing Minot High School Magic City Campus (which currently serves students grades 11-12) into a full, four-year high school, and the existing Minot High School Central Campus (which currently serves students grades 9-10) into a middle school.

“We’re feeling very good about the schedule. We should be easily able to make all of this transition by August of 2024,” said Minot School Superintendent Mark Vollmer. “Our goal is to, by May 1, to have the high school named and a mascot and colors, and actually beginning freshmen team sports next year that will be representing that new high school.”

Remodeling work at the Magic City Campus is set to include building a second gymnasium, adding locker space and renovating the school’s science and career and technical education areas. Local news reports that the district has applied for a $10-million career and technical education grant from the state of North Dakota to aid in the proposed construction.

Another task is to engage in boundary discussions to decide which elementary and middle schools will feed into which of the district’s two full-service high schools. “We believe once that high school is in place that we will see tremendous growth in that part of town,” Vollmer said. “Those decisions are going to be very emotional discussions, but exciting discussions for people. I think we just need to realize that at the end of the day, we’re not going to be overcrowded. We’re not going to be stuffing kids in portable classrooms anymore, and we’ll be making our educational opportunities more equitable for kids.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.