Celebrating our schools

More than three years of effort will be celebrated Sunday, Oct. 8, when the New Prague Area Schools holds an open house at the Central Education Campus and Middle School buildings.

The celebration will give the school district a chance to show off all the improvements to the new buildings that resulted from a bond referendum overwhelmingly passed by district voters in May, 2015. That referendum was the result of a series of meetings that began in late 2014, with a facilities task force charged with looking at ways to improve the district’s infrastructure. Each district building was closely looked at and evaluated and the task force developed a list of recommendations. The board adopted the recommendations and brought a $58.4 million bond referendum to voters. That referendum passed with more than 60 percent of district voters approving the measure.

From that point, plans were developed and implemented and construction began in early 2016. The result: The district boasts a new Aquatic Center which, thanks to additional funding from the City of New Prague, is one of the largest in Minnesota; sixth grade middle school students are once again housed in an expanded middle school campus, which includes a new, secure main entry, an auxiliary gym to handle the increased student population in the building, a larger kitchen and lunch area and general improvements to the 40-year-old building; a community education and early childhood center that can handle the demands being placed on the growing programs, a newly remodeled district office and district operations center and adequate parking for all the programs in the CEC building. Also part of the project was an expanded transportation building, which is expected to be completed within the next month, and upgrades to the nearly 50-year old Falcon Ridge Elementary campus that were made during the summer months.

Yes, all this cost the taxpayers money, but what better way to invest our tax dollars than in the future of the community. New Prague Area Schools performs well compared to other comparable districts in state testing, and figures show that they do so in a way that maximizes taxpayer dollars. That too, is something to celebrate.

Suel Printing Company

Copyright © Suel Printing Company
All Rights Reserved
200 Main St E
New Prague, MN 56071

Phone: 952-758-4435
Fax: 952-758-4135

If you would like to receive a FREE digital edition with a paid print subscription please call 952-758-4435.