Red Lake Schools Plan Renovations Thanks To Bonding Bill

New renovations will be coming to the Red Lake Elementary School and Early Childhood Center, thanks to the 2018 Omnibus Bonding Bill that was approved by Governor Mark Dayton on Wednesday May 30^th. The $14 million bonding bill will allow the District to make renovations of existing spaces and add classrooms to the Red Lake Elementary/Early Childhood complex.

The renovations will include the addition of more classrooms designed specifically for education, rather than storage rooms and closets that have been repurposed as classrooms. Student counts have been consistently increasing by 3-4% each year, so the district says the space is much needed. There will also be renovations done to music and art classrooms, computer labs and student support areas.

The project also includes connection of Red Lake Elementary School and Red Lake Early Childhood Center. The connection of the buildings will allow the school to better utilize staff between the buildings, which will increase efficiency and add to their ability to differentiate for students. There will also be an update to the existing mechanical systems to also improve efficiency.

The project will also provide for a larger and more efficient space for food service, which would allow the school to decrease the time it takes to move 793 students through breakfast and lunch.

Last, the project will provide students with a safer learning environment by creating one central entrance for students and the public to use during the school day, as well as create separate family drop off and bus loading areas.

The district will work with architects on the predesign and the design phase of the project over the next several months. The estimated construction timeline is June 2019 through August 2021.