In October of 2021 the Almira Elementary and Middle School was completely destroyed by a fire. This building also contained the District offices.
The School District and the community immediately began addressing how to meet the educational needs of their students in temporary facilities and to create a plan to build a new school. The ALSC Architects/Garco Construction team was hired in December of 2021 to help lead a process to engage community members, since the school is truly the heart and center of this rural community. Goal were to be forward-thinking in terms of the educational environment, create a school that would meet their needs for the next 50 years, and provide new facilities as soon as possible.
The budget consists of insurance money, State school construction funds, and potential money from the current State legislature. This presented a unique challenge, as the available funds won’t be finalized until the middle of design. ALSC is collaborating with the School Board, staff, and community to establish goals and priorities for a base project as well as a comprehensive master plan if they receive an additional $10 million from the legislature.
The master plan includes a new 48,000 SF K-8 School, 2,000 SF District office, greenhouse, CTE/storage pole building, and outdoor educational and play areas.
The District office is scheduled to be occupied and temporarily used for the Pre-K class in September of 2022. Construction of the new school is planned to be completed in phases, allowing students to use the gymnasium in January of 2023.
← Back to the Portfolio page