Work on a new "classroom" for the Superior school forest got its first boost at Monday's committee of the whole meeting.
The Superior School Board voted unanimously to move forward bids from Benson Electric and Stack Brothers to next week's school board meeting. If approved, the two companies will perform about $24,000 combined of electrical and mechanical work.
Two dormitories, constructed in the 1970s, currently stand on the school forest property, located south of Superior, in the vicinity of Pattison Park.
Assistant Superintendent Janna Stevens said the buildings had never been used during that time and are now unsuitable for use. The district plans to tear down the old structures and build two new ones, with students from Superior High School doing the bulk of the construction work.
Stevens estimates the initial stage of the project will cost $55,000.
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The district brought in $30,000 from selling lumber harvested from the school forest this year and an additional $10,000 by selling unused equipment. Enbridge also has donated $5,000 toward the new school forest classroom, and the district is looking into a number of grants to fund the project.
When the new buildings are complete, the school board hopes to see them used extensively by students.
Teachers at the middle school already are brainstorming ways to incorporate the school forest into their curriculum.
- A waiting list has formed for this summer's language immersion class. Stevens said parental interest in the program was very strong, and the 25 spots in the class were filled after the first day of sign-ups.
The program will introduce kindergarten and first-grade students to Spanish in an immersion format. Like all other summer classes, the program runs four weeks.
The immersion class is not planned to continue into the regular school year.
