ST. CLOUD -- Technology has seen a few upgrades since they built the old Technical High School, and the new Tech High School is reaping the benefits.

The replacement for the 101-year-old Technical High School will open next fall.

The technology used to run the new school is state of the art and designed to make sure it runs efficiently and as cost-effective as possible. Site Manager Kyle Walter says the new school's mechanical systems are all computerized.

"Everything's hooked up to a computer. It'll show graphics on how everything is operating. It allows the lead engineer/custodians to see how the school's operating and sends them a notification if there's an error."

One of the biggest differences in the two schools are their boilers. In the old Tech, they're so old that no one makes parts for them any longer. They're also very large, taking up an entire room.

Walter says the new boilers are efficient and take up little space.

"For the maintenance staff, these will be easier to operate, control and maintain. And obviously, they're a lot smaller."

Walter says their work won't end once the school's opened, in fact, the only way to make sure some devices are working properly is to see how they handle students and staff once it's occupied.

If any work needs to be done, it will happen after school hours.

When finished, the new Tech will hold about 1,600 students. The city of St. Cloud is also planning to turn the nearby Neena Creek area into a park. St. Cloud recently released concept designs of what they'd like to do with the old Technical High School, once they take over that building in 2019.

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