Identifying Our Challenges

Learn about the top needs identified by students, staff, and community members.

The earliest sections of our PreK-12 school building were constructed in 1952. Over the years, the building has received updates and additions to meet the evolving educational needs of the community, but several spaces struggle to meet standards for today’s students and curriculum.

Our district’s assessments completed throughout 2023 and 2024 identified several areas of our school buildings that either do not meet the MN Department of Education’s recommended guidelines or were recognized as opportunities for improvement by students, staff, and community members.

Identified challenges and priorities for our learning and commons spaces

  • Our building currently lacks common spaces that can support community events and collaborative learning outside the classroom. This limits our ability to foster community engagement through events and activities and restricts learning to classroom spaces.

  • Some of our older classrooms are smaller than what the Minnesota Department of Education recommends, which limits opportunities for small-group work and one-on-one instruction. Older classrooms also feature fewer basic amenities like electrical outlets, which impact staff’s ability to use technology or additional lighting.

  • Spaces such as mental health and counseling rooms, front office staff, nurse rooms, and administrative offices are currently split between multiple areas, which harms efficiency, accessibility, and communication between students and staff.

  • The current layout of our school requires visitors to travel through learning spaces to reach the district offices, gymnasium, fitness room, and other areas. Community feedback identified opportunities to improve direct access to these spaces and make upgrades to other security measures, such as updated security cameras.

  • As they age, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems grow more inefficient and are more prone to malfunction. This impacts air quality and comfort in our buildings for students, staff, and visitors.

    Four of the six hot water heaters serving the building are 14-17 years old and are at or beyond life expectancy.

  • Outdated restrooms in our school do not fully meet ADA requirements. They also do not include private, single-use or universal options for students.

Identified challenges and priorities for our arts, athletics, and activities spaces

  • Old lighting, rigging, and control systems are at risk of malfunctions during performances and rehearsals.

  • This limits the use of these spaces by students and those with disabilities. Outdated locker rooms feature older, group-style showers and do not include private, single-use options.

  • Without additional locker room space, our school cannot accommodate multiple games at the same time. This limits opportunities for doubleheaders and tournaments, which are common due to our remote location.

  • There is not enough gym space to fully accommodate athletics practices, physical education classes, and large competitions.

  • Track and field athletes must practice on surfaces that do not match those that they compete on.

  • Our school’s natural grass fields are dependent on weather conditions and must be carefully controlled to prevent damage from overuse.

  • The weight room is not big enough to accommodate more than 20 students or one team or program at a time, which limits its use and benefit for all athletes.

Assessment results

Below are the results of the education adequacy assessment performed at our PreK-12 building, which determined how our learning spaces compare to the Minnesota Department of Education’s recommended guidelines for educational adequacy.