Students can easily notice the substantial progress in construction at Mounds View. Over the past four months, construction workers have renovated the commons area, added new classrooms near the nurse’s office and paved the dirt road between the bus parking lot and the school. Of course, many parts of the construction plan remain unfinished. Construction will continue until the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

Two sets of new classrooms will be completed during the 2019-2020 school year. Students will be able to access the southwest classroom addition next to the world language hallway by April. The northeast classroom addition located next to the parking lot will open at about the same time. “[In] the two new wings, the classrooms will be constructed differently.” said Associate Principal Gregory Martin. “A lot of the classrooms will be glass or open in these two particular areas.”

After these new academic towers open, existing classrooms will undergo renovation. Classes in the world language hallway will relocate to the southwest classroom addition as soon as possible. Renovation of the world language hallway will follow, continuing through the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. Similarly, classes in the social studies hallway will move to the northeast classroom addition for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year to allow for renovation. Martin said that the renovated classrooms will be larger and will have new furniture.  

Construction will continue through the summer of 2020. For example, the new four-station gymnasium will be finished by Aug. 28, just a few days before the 2020-2021 school year begins. “The four-station gymnasium will provide regulation-size courts with ample natural light,” according to the district’s website. It also states that “the gymnasium exterior presents a view out from the walking track overlooking the athletic fields to the south.”  

Other athletic facilities will also receive significant improvements. An athletic commons with expanded hallways will be built next to the four-station gym, and both locker rooms will be renovated. In addition, a new weight room “will feature weights and cardio equipment separated by turf flooring that allows students to practice while indoors,” according to the district’s website. 

Though some of the construction at Mounds View has been completed, many renovations and additions are still in progress. The ongoing construction creates inconvenience at times, and the school community continues to adjust. “Mounds View students have been incredibly flexible. They’ve been really respectful of the space too. We’ve had very few instances of problems with students entering construction zones or anything like that, so I’m just really appreciative of how flexible all the students and teachers have been,” said Stephenie Bruggers, principal. She also praised the construction workers at Mounds View: “They’ve done a really good job of having a building that’s ready for school, even though we’re still under heavy construction.”