Riverview Intermediate School Renovations Could Start Earlier

SARTELL -- Sartell school officials are keeping an eye on the governor's stay-at-home order as it pertains to a renovation project at one of their school buildings.

The current middle school, which will become Riverview Intermediate School this fall, is scheduled for renovations this summer.

However, Sartell-St. Stephen Superintendent Jeff Schwiebert says if students continue distance learning the projects timeline could move up.

If the governor issues the order that we will not come back to school, we will be able to start some projects a little be earlier. So we want to be prepared if the governor gives us that guidance.

Schwiebert says if the distance learning order is extended through the remainder of the school year, construction crews could start doing some work by May instead of June.

He says there are four key areas to the renovation.

One is redoing the current multi-purpose room into a media center. Project number two is filling in and closing the old pool. Then the old woodshop we will turn into a Project Lead the Way maker space. Then the fourth spot is the current south gym which we will make into our high school gymnastics area.

Total cost for the renovation costs is estimated at about $2-million.

As for the future Middle School, Schwiebert says the bulk of the construction should wrap up in the next few weeks. Both schools are expected to be ready to go by this fall.

Per Governor Tim Walz' executive order students are not allowed to return to their classrooms until May 4th, at the earliest.