HIGH SCHOOL/MIDDLE RENOVATION UPDATES
Crookston High School and Middle School are excited to announce the middle school renovations are near completion.
Teachers and staff have started moving into their new areas in preparation for the first day of classes on September 6. The middle school has been under construction this summer, and it’s safe to say it has an entirely different look. Although it’s in the exact location, every middle school age group (grades 6-8) has its pod to report to. Each grade level is now sectioned off into its specific space. Renovations also included sixth-grade classrooms from Highland Elementary School, which are currently in the middle school’s new classroom and office spaces.
The final renovations include the installation of casework cabinets for five classrooms. The district office has also gone through changes this summer. “The district office returned to its original format, which was two classrooms,” said District Construction Manager Dave Kuehn, “And the district office moved to a different area in the building, which has been remodeled.”
Last week, the school district was assisted with the “heavy lifting” portion of the transition from the Crookston High School football players. “Last week, they allowed us to move in, and we had a lot of things we had to move from Highland,” said Kuehn, “Also, we had things from the high school that had to be moved to new classrooms, not only did our custodial staff work hard, but we enlisted some of our football players that graciously donated time.”
Click the pictures below and see the Pirate football players help out.
HIGHLAND PRESCHOOL UPDATES
It is reported that the outside work of the preschool addition has been “slow.” Most of the inside renovations (apart from the elevator area) will be completed before the middle of September. “Progress has been a little slow over there regarding the outside edition,” said Kuehn, “The footprint is there, and formation of the new classroom locations, but there was a delay with the plumbing specifications being approved by the state.” The plumbing requirements were not met and approved by the state of Minnesota until the late stages of July, earlier this summer. Highland will have plumbing inspectors visit this week; if the inspection is passed, the following projects for the school will be constructing the building’s walls, roof, and ceiling.
The preschool addition includes six new classrooms on the east side of the Highland building, a new parking lot, and paved walkways leading up to the school entrance. Kuehn stated an estimated completion date for the preschool is March/April of 2024, with active enrollment set for Fall 2024.
MULTI-USE SPORTS COMPLEX BIDDING UPDATES
By Friday this week, the Crookston Public School board will look for bids on the multi-use sports project. The offer is for entities to handle the complex’s dirt, concrete, paving, fencing, and lighting. “We went out at the end of May, and we didn’t receive a very favorable bid for the dirt work,” said Kuehn, “We decided to go back out in late August and look for bids.”
Over the next several weeks, the board will be in discussion with the construction management company to secure bids for those complex project needs. Kuehn stated residents may see bleachers and a press box installed by the later stages of Fall, but the project’s dirt work and concrete portions may not be completed until late spring or early summer of 2024.
