GRAND MEADOW – Residents of Grand Meadow Independent School District No.

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

GRAND MEADOW – Residents of Grand Meadow Independent School District No. 495 learned the real reasons a new $12 million K-12 monolithic dome school.

It’s not the huge savings in energy costs or any of the other reasons.

It’s so that water won’t leak onto the heads of students and they won’t have to get the custodians to retrieve playground balls from the roof, students told Sween.

And, it will be "a lot bigger and there will be no fighters," according to another young student.

Those are some of the reasons given by Grand Meadow Elementary School children.

As one of them noted, "I think Jesse Ventura made the right choice."

Adrienne Sween, a senior and president of the Grand Meadow Student Council, asked elementary students to compose their thoughts about the new school construction project and they responded with children’s inimitable honesty.

Sween was one of the guest speakers Monday morning at a rally in the Super Larks’ gymnasium before dignitaries adjourned to the site along Highway 16 at the east edge of Grand Meadow to shovel the symbolic first scoops of dirt where the new school will be built.

Gary Vogt, president of the Grand Meadow Board of Education, welcomed guests to the ceremonies. Janet Moe directed students in singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and then Superintendent Bruce Klaehn described the project that has all Minnesota watching the district’s investment in a new technology.

When Klaehn was hired nearly five years ago, the school board gave him a mandate to address problems with the aging school facility in the heart of the community.

When Grand Meadow’s neighboring school districts affirmed they wanted to remain independent and not consolidate, the district was left on its own.

A task force was formed to investigate renovation, but "sticker shock" on the cost of repairs soon caused them to focus on a new school building. The result was agreement on a new, state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind monolithic concrete dome school.

In September 1998, voters approved an $8 million bond referendum to build the new high-technology school.

A year later, the Minnesota Legislature rejected a request for a $1.5 million grant to assist the project, but last spring, the Legislature approved a $3 million grant for the project.

Klaehn said the project "represents a victory for everybody."

According to the superintendent, to have not done anything would have left district residents saying, "You know what we should have done 10 years from now."

Instead, the residents will be able to say "We did exactly what should have been done and we did it right," Klaehn said.

State Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston) jokingly christened the superintendent "Assistant State Rep. Bruce Klaehn" for all of his efforts before the state Legislature to obtain funding for the project.

Recalling his visits as a Spring Valley high school wrestler to the Super Larks’ gymnasium, Davids said it was good to return for something other than another defeat by Grand Meadow’s Jim Hathaway.

Davids also said of the Legislature’s support for the project, "When the people speak, that’s what we vote for."

He had this advice for any people left with second thoughts about the undertaking: "You can never feel bad for doing the right thing."

State Sen. Kenric Scheevel (R-Preston) said the state has more than $4 billion in unmet infrastructure needs for public schools.

"All people all over the state are going to be watching this project," Scheevel said.

Like Klaehn before him, Scheevel said the district will be able to say one day in the future how right the decision was to build a concrete monolithic dome school.

"You’re going to feel pretty good years from now as those heating bills continue to go up," he said of the anticipated energy savings.

Jon Neubauer, one of the main architects for TSP One Architects, said excitement will grow as the five domes are constructed and people see the new school take shape. "The work is going to show up this summer and all of Grand Meadow will be pleased and excited," he said.

Randy Lutz, a construction manager for E&V Consultants, said he was "very proud to be involved in bringing the hopes and dreams of the district out of the ground."

Grand Meadow Mayor Jim Baudoin praised all of the project’s supporters and singled out Klaehn and Polly Glynn, the former school board president, for their efforts.

"I can’t thank them enough," Baudoin said. "This can only be a big shot in the arm for our community."

Glynn told the gymnasium audience, "Today we are all celebrating a victory" and then she underscored what that means to the entire school district.

Lynee Davis, president of the newly formed Grand Meadow Education Foundation, and a member of the GMHS class of 1975, told how her class donated the huge "Super Lark" icon that hangs on a gymnasium wall.

She said the foundation is assisting the school board in helping others who want to leave their own legacy to the district and help meet some of the needs for the new school not in the project’s budget.

Marlin Fay, an original task force member, said the success of the project is, in part, because of the "vision for the district which older generations have."

Finally, school board member ValJean Thorsen, said, "This day marks a new beginning."

And, Thorsen then announced to all, "Gentlemen, start your engines" and the dedication ceremonies crowd went to the site to break ground with gold-plated shoves.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.