(Editor’s note: Information from this story is based on agenda reports, the unofficial School Board Minutes from the March 16 meeting, and comments from School Board Chair Matt Johnson and Morris Area Community Education Office Manager Brooke Viss. Additional reporting by Katie Erdman.)
A multi-million dollar roof replacement project and a new building addition nearing completion headlined the Morris Area School Board’s March 16 meeting. The board approved the first phase of a three-year, potentially $5.5 million roof project while Board Chair Matt Johnson reported the district’s new elementary pod addition — which will give sixth graders a permanent home on the elementary side of campus for the first time — is on track for a mid-April completion.
Roof project to span three years
The Morris Area School Board approved the first phase of a three-year roof replacement project at its March 16 meeting, awarding a bid of $1,857,302 to John A. Dalsin & Sons of Minneapolis.
Phase 1 work, scheduled for this summer, will cover a large portion of the high school building. Phase 2 in 2027 will address the elementary classroom wing, and Phase 3 in 2028 will cover the remainder of the elementary building.
Four contractors submitted bids for the Phase 1 work, with Dalsin & Sons submitting the lowest base bid. The full three-phase project is estimated to cost between $4.8 million and $5.5 million, though the district notes those figures are based on 2026 dollars and do not account for inflation.
According to Board Chair Matt Johnson, the roof project is funded through the district’s Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) budget, separate from the 2024 bond referendum.
New pod on track for mid-April
The district’s new building addition, funded through the 2024 bond referendum, is on schedule. Johnson said the project is “right on time and right on budget,” with a target completion in mid-April.
The two-story pod addition to the elementary building will house PreK classrooms on the ground floor and four sixth grade classrooms on the upper level. Superintendent Shane Monson reported that terrazzo flooring is currently being poured on the second floor, with tile installation underway in the bathrooms.
The addition will give sixth graders a new designated home on the elementary side of campus. Sixth graders have been housed in the connector space between the elementary and high school buildings for years, and already use the elementary cafeteria and gymnasium, making the move a natural fit.
With PreK moving into the new pod, the space it currently occupies in the elementary building will be freed up. Elementary Principal Eric Ose noted that a committee is working to determine how best to repurpose that space to benefit K-6 students.
New Tiny Tigers program launching this summer
The board voted 7-0 to approve a new summer program alongside the continuation of the long-running Summer Sizzle program, both set to begin June 1. The board approved the programs under the name “PreK Summer Sizzle” as recommended by the Finance & Facilities Committee.
Summer Sizzle, a community education program for students who have completed kindergarten through sixth grade, will continue as usual under the direction of coordinator Cody Hickman.
New this year is Tiny Tigers, a program designed specifically for kindergarten-eligible PreK students — those who will be entering kindergarten in the fall of 2026. The program was created in response to growing community demand, according to Community Education Office Manager Brooke Viss. Previously, Summer Sizzle required students to have completed kindergarten, leaving younger PreK students without a summer program option.
Tiny Tigers will operate under the Summer Sizzle umbrella, with Hickman overseeing the program and staff member Jordann handling lesson planning. However, Viss noted the programming will look quite different from Summer Sizzle, as the younger children are not yet ready for many of the same activities. Tiny Tigers is open to kindergarten-eligible students only and is not available to PreK students who will be continuing in the PreK program next year.
Achievement and Integration Plan approved
The board also voted to approve the district’s Achievement and Integration Plan, a state-required initiative focused on increasing student achievement and reducing academic disparities among Native American and Hispanic/Latino students.
The plan outlines three goals: increasing reading proficiency among Native American and Hispanic/Latino students by at least five percent between 2026 and 2029, supporting the academic achievement of all students with an emphasis on those groups, and ensuring teachers have access to training to meet the diverse needs of their students.
The district will receive $147,522 from the state of Minnesota to implement the plan. Per state requirements, approximately $38,879 of that total is funded through a local levy designated for the Achievement and Integration program.
The plan also includes integration activities with neighboring Chokio-Alberta Schools and scholarship access to PreK programming for income-qualifying families.
Elementary update
Elementary Principal Eric Ose reported that the school is preparing for MCA testing, which begins in April. Teachers and paraprofessionals are completing proctor training and test-prep is being added to student lessons in the weeks ahead.
Ose also reported strong turnout at the recent Kindergarten Registration Event, which drew participation from several board members. The elementary school recorded 58 registrations for the upcoming kindergarten class, with approximately 10 more expected.
High school update
High School Principal Bill Kehoe reported that MCA testing for high school students will begin at the end of April and into early May. Some special education students began testing March 2 with the MTAS assessment, and English language learners completed ACCESS testing in early March.
Juniors and seniors are scheduled to take the ACT on April 21. On April 29, the same group will participate in a mentorship program, spending the day shadowing a professional in a field of their interest. Seniors had a similar experience last fall. The third quarter ended March 20, with grades available for students and parents to view on March 26.
Personnel
The board approved March personnel items as part of the consent agenda. Resignations include paraeducator Taylor Barnhardt, JH volleyball coach Chelsey Latzig, and teacher Joseph Ferriero. Paraeducator Chelsey Burg was also listed as a termination.
New hires include paraeducators MiKaela Becker and Emma Wilson, teacher substitute Shannon Dougherty, and Brett Hansen as seventh grade baseball coach, among others.
Next meeting
The Morris Area School Board will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, April 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the High School Media Center.
