New St. Cloud Tech High School Site Starting to Take Shape

ST. CLOUD -- The new Tech High School's site is starting to take shape a little over a month after the initial groundbreaking.

The school will feature “learning neighborhoods”, and will bring all Tiger athletics back onto campus. The learning neighborhoods hope to hold, for now, around 200 students apiece. The goal with the new high school is to create as much collaboration and community as possible among students as they progress through their education.

The site, roughly 65 acres in size is in the process of being graded out.  Kyle Walter is the Program Manager for the new Tech High School. He says after grading, they'll get started in earnest on the structure.

"Structural steel will be done through the learning neighborhoods and common areas, the gym, auditorium, and part of the pool will be pre-cast concrete. That'll be the next process then we'll work through enclosing the building so the interior trades can start on the plumbing and rough-ends."

Walter says the winter won't slow them down on the site.

"Quite a bit [can be built] we'll set structural steel, masonry can go on in the winter. There are precautions for all that, so we'll go through that and set what we can. Come next winter we should be able to have the building enclosed and heated."

District 742 Superintendent Willie Jett says the new school is all about passion, experience, and opportunity.  Saying he wants students to enter the workforce as prepared as possible for any challenge they may face.

When finished, the new Tech will hold about 1,600 students. The new school is being built on district-owned land along 33rd street south, just across from Stride Academy. The city of St. Cloud is also planning to turn the nearby Neena Creek area into a park.

The school is still set for opening in the fall of 2019.