Mankato Area Public Schools board members took tours at four district sites Monday evening to see the progress of facility projects they approved last year, and to take a look at future projects and discuss facility goals within the district.
First up was the Center for Learning, the district’s new early learning center which recently finished phase one of construction and is now well into phase two.
Phase one included a four-classroom pod that serves about 60 to 70 students and the administration pod.
Phase two — which will incorporate three more pods of four classrooms, a cafeteria and two indoor play areas — will be the biggest part of the project.
The tour then moved on to Lincoln Community Center and Roosevelt Elementary School, where the board has worked to improve indoor air quality with new HVAC systems.
The board has worked to improve indoor air quality at Lincoln Community Center and Roosevelt Elementary School with new HVAC systems.
The tour wrapped up at West High School, where the board got a look at a new coffee shop, still under construction and discussed their goal of adding a secure entryway to the school.
Future projects
During their stops at Roosevelt Elementary and West High School, Director of Facilities Scott Hogen also addressed goals to add secure entryways to the schools.
“What we’re looking at is putting on an entryway to the main entrance there of (Roosevelt), which would then allow parents and visitors to come into that entryway, talk to a receptionist and then, if allowed into the building, they would come through the office and then into the school instead of in a door straight into the school,” said Hogen.
Secure entrances at Mankato West High School and Roosevelt Elementary School are among future projects the district is planning.
Secure entrances at Mankato West High School and Roosevelt Elementary School are among future projects the district is planning.
Holly Marie Moore
At West, the secure entrance would be located by the parking lot.
“Once you come in, there would be a security booth there that would be checking people in and out of the building. There would be a grand staircase and then some type of ADA elevator or lift in that space to bring them up to the main first floor level here of the building,” said Hogen.
The district is looking to fund both entryways through a bonding referendum, something that’s still in the planning stages.
Coffee coming to West
Also at West High School, a new coffee shop is under construction.
A new coffee shop is currently under construction at Mankato West High School.
West High School principal Sherri Blasing shared the details with the board during the tour.
“We had our interior design class pitch the ideas,” she said. “This summer, Web Construction came and started the work, and they had three of our students working with them. We’ll have kids do as much construction work as we can, and then when it is finished, our DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) students will run it and our special education students will have work here.”
After the tour, Vice Chair Kristi Schuck said it’s important to see how the district takes care of its buildings.
“I hope we can communicate to the community that we take care of these schools,” she said. “When talking about the excitement of this new entrance for West as it relates to safety first, but also as it relates to how we meet the needs of that building now as it’s used, it takes a lot of craft.”
