This is a paid piece from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

Simplified: As more people move to the northwest part of the metro, the Tri-Valley School District is planning to accommodate growth long into the future with two new buildings.

Why it matters

  • The Tri-Valley School District has seen a nearly 20% increase in students in the last decade, and with several new housing developments in the area, that growth is only expected to continue.
  • With 950 students, the current building is over capacity, Superintendent Mike Lodmel said. Teachers are currently sharing classrooms to make it work in the interim.
  • The new elementary school in Crooks and the new Tri-Valley High School will set the district up for success in the long-term. It'll also bring new amenities to students and the community.
"Once these buildings are completed, I don’t predict that our school district will need another new building for quite some time," Lodmel said.

Tell me more about the new buildings

The new elementary school in Crooks will house grades K-4 with 42 classrooms.

  • The building will also have flex break-out areas for students, a multi-purpose gym with a stage and an auxiliary gym.  
  • Total cost for the project is estimated at $23.6 million.

The new high school will have 26 classrooms, a 500-seat auditorium, a modernized shop, a weight room, a competition gym and an auxiliary gym.

  • The new building doubles the existing available gym space, and Lodmel said the new shop will also provide students new opportunities through the district's agricultural programs.
  • Total cost for the high school is estimated at $46.7 million.

What will this mean for the area?

It means Tri-Valley is ready to handle the growth happening now and into the future.

It also sets up the region for even more growth.

"Where schools go, development follows," said Jesse Fonkert, president and CEO of the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. "These new buildings will bring incredible opportunities for continued growth in both residential and commercial developments in the surrounding towns."

What happens next?

The new elementary school is expected to open this fall, and the high school should be completed and ready for students in the fall of 2025.