Proposed New Baxter Elementary School Site Identified

Brainerd Public Schools announced today that it has identified a site for the proposed elementary school to be constructed in Baxter. Currently owned by the city of Baxter, the site is located south of Highland Scenic Drive, directly east of Forestview Middle School.

“The proposed site has many positive attributes for the new elementary school and provides future flexibility and expansion opportunities for both the school district and the City of Baxter”, said Laine Larson, Superintendent of Brainerd Public Schools. “Factoring the expected roadway improvements, the overall estimated cost of the proposed site is less than the school district’s existing property and allows us to preserve the school forest as a natural resource for our students and community.”

The school’s district plans are to utilize the recent investment in roadway improvements and the roundabout intersection at Highland Scenic Drive and Mapleton road to safely and efficiently move traffic to and from the new school. Also in the plans are connections to the existing trail system that will provide safe pedestrian travel throughout the City of Baxter.

As part of the comprehensive facilities plan, the current Baxter Elementary School would be repurposed to become an early childhood education center, better utilizing the existing building and it smaller parcel of land.

District and City officials have already begun talks regarding the proposed site for the new school and the terms of a formal agreement are pending the outcome of the special election. Following more than three years of research, gathering public input, and review and analysis, a comprehensive plan was developed to address the future needs of our schools. On April 10th, voters in the Brainerd Public School district will decide whether to approve the plan, which make long-term investments into each the 12 schools in our community.

For more information, you can the Brainerd Public Schools website here.