North Dakota District Prepares for New High School

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

  • Springfield Breaks Ground on $53.7M Pipkin Middle School Rebuild

    Construction is underway on a new, state-of-the-art Pipkin Middle School in Springfield, Mo., a major step in Springfield Public Schools’ (SPS) long-term facility improvement plan, according to local news. The $53.7-million project officially broke ground in early June, following years of planning and community input aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure and addressing student capacity concerns.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

  • Tufts University Breaks Ground on Two New Residence Halls

    Tufts University in Medford, Mass., recently broke ground on two new residence halls with a total capacity of 664 beds, according to local news. The project’s ultimate goal is to expand on-campus housing and reduce pressure on the local housing market.

  • Clemson to Launch North America’s Largest College Campus Smart Parking Program

    Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., recently announced a partnership with smart parking and curbside management solutions provider eleven-x to launch a smart parking initiative for its population of 29,000 students and faculty, according to a news release.

Digital Edition