ZBA was engaged by Moorhead Area Public Schools late summer of 2018 to assist with the work of the Moorhead Public Schools Facilities Task Force. Three primary options were evaluated to accommodate up to 2,600 students. The community showed tremendous support for rebuilding the high school on the current site along with the addition of an off-site career academy and passed the referendum to support this project in November of 2019.
Phase I of this project included three academic wings with neighborhood commons, the main commons with learning stair, food service, officing and media center, and new athletic spaces. Building on the site of the current, active high school meant there was a heightened focus on safety, site security, and flow of materials. Phase I was constructed to the north of the existing facility, literal feet away.
Phase II will include the demolition of the old facility followed by construction of new spaces that will house a new main office, all the music programs, the arts, and a 1,000 seat theater. This project is slated to be completed by fall of 2025. Once completed, the new high school along with the Career Academy will have the capacity to host 2,600 students.
The completed school will boast elevated safety features to control access for students and the public during school hours and after hour events, many collaborative workspaces for students, state-of-the-art extracurricular facilities, and a modern design aesthetic carried throughout the school.
