Minot Public Schools superintendent Mark Vollmer said a vote on a proposed $32 million school bond issue will probably take place sometime next fall.
At the next scheduled school board meeting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, board members will discuss when to schedule a series of public forums to get input from the public about proposed projects.
Architects Anderson Wade Whitty and DLR have been hired to conduct master planning and building assessment architectural services.
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Andrea Johnson/MDN • Ten acres of land, located at the corner of 37th Avenue and 13th Street Southeast, is in a neighborhood where housing is going up rapidly. It could also be the site of a new elementary school to serve southeast Minot at some point in the future. The Minot Public School District purchased the land in this area a few years ago.
In the past, Vollmer had said such a bond issue might pay for construction of a new elementary school on 10 acres of land the district already owns in southeast Minot, purchase of land where a new high school could eventually be built, and an elementary school addition. Vollmer said the final proposal will be influenced by the input the board receives at the public meetings.
"When those community meetings are announced, we really need people to take the time to be a part of the process," said Vollmer. "We want input. It's a very vital part of the process."
The district is experiencing growing pains, with enrollment continuing to go up due to the growth in the community. This year's kindergarten class has 753 students in comparison to 425 students in this year's senior class.
"It's incredible growth," said Vollmer.
Vollmer also said construction on the buildings intended to replace those damaged by the flood of 2011 is on schedule, with work continuing on the new Erik Ramstad Middle School in northwest Minot and a classroom addition at Longfellow Elementary that will replace Lincoln Elementary, which was destroyed. Work also continues on an addition to Lewis and Clark Elementary in northwest Minot.
No firm starting date for the 2013-2014 school year has been decided, but if all goes as planned, students could start classes in the new buildings after Labor Day.