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LHS opens doors for 2019-20 school year amid construction

Lead Summary
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By
Mavis Fodness

Monday was a memorable first day of school for staff and students at Luverne Middle-High School.
Some were challenged to find the correct classroom. Others were happy to have one.
The school building is currently undergoing a $23 million renovation and won’t be finished until 2021.
For the next year construction workers, students and educators will co-exist as the project progresses through the building.
Currently workers are finishing the renovation of eight classrooms on the second floor of the west wing. Teachers who would have normally taught in those rooms have been assigned rooms elsewhere in the building. 
Once the classrooms are finished in the next month, eight teachers will move into them, and other teachers will be moved to temporary rooms as the renovation process continues in other areas around the school.
One newly renovated classroom was available Monday for the first day of the new school year.
Inspectors presented the district with an occupancy certificate this weekend for the new band and choir suites.
They are located in the former auditorium or what was commonly called the “Little Theater.”
Band instructor James Jarvie is the first teacher to use one of the district’s new classrooms.
“It’s awesome,” he said about the expanded area.
On Tuesday the choir room was open to students after they spent Monday meeting in the gymnasium.
Classes were last conducted in Luverne 120 days ago.
The longer-than-normal summer break (four months instead of three) was to accommodate the construction schedule.
“Everyone worked really hard to get this far,” said site superintendent David Mulert with ICS Consulting of Blaine, Minnesota. “If we push the next couple of weeks, we will move a long way toward finishing.”
Part of the work will be sealing the building in order for the building’s new heating and air conditioning system to be operated.
Currently floor fans circulate air throughout the building.
“It gets a little warm,” said teacher Becky Rahm.
Luverne is in the second year of an expanded school day.
The extra 30 minutes a day will allow the school year to end May 10, 2020.
 The district’s renovation project also includes the construction of a $7 million performing arts center between the elementary and middle-high school facilities.
The performing arts center is not scheduled to be ready for use until 2021.

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