At Nevis Public School, we are dedicated to ensuring an excellent educational experience for our students. Our goal is to prepare all students to become critical thinkers, responsible citizens, and lifelong learners.
As part of our efforts to ensure our district remains strong, the Nevis School Board has undertaken a comprehensive process to plan for the future of our facilities. The planning process has included input from staff, parents, students, and residents – and your voice continues to be critical. Together, we will find the best path forward for Nevis.
This website will provide one central location for our community to receive updates on facilities planning. Please stay tuned as we move ahead with this process.
The Challenges We Face
The majority of the Nevis Public School building is 40 years old and no longer meets the evolving needs of our students, staff, and community. Through assessments, listening sessions, and surveys, the district has identified several areas that require substantial improvements to better serve students and staff. Some of the needs cited by staff, parents, and residents included:
The Planning Process
At the start of 2024, the Nevis School Board initiated a long-term planning process to address challenges and guide improvements to our school facilities. The process has included listening sessions, community meetings, a staff survey, and an online community survey open to all residents to gather feedback on the needs of our school facilities. The district also retained K-12 facility experts at ICS to determine projected enrollment growth and assess the condition of our facilities.
The district also convened a Community Action Committee made up of about 20 members of the Nevis community, including a few board members. From July to September, the committee met regularly to contribute their insights and help determine how to prioritize the district’s facility’s needs. In October, the district held an Ice Cream Social Open House with the community to answer questions and gather feedback on the overall project and planning to date. The information stations at the Ice Cream Social Open House included: where we are in the planning process; feedback received from all stakeholder groups; the challenges the district is facing; and drafts of the plan concepts, along with correlating costs and tax impacts.
Looking ahead, the school board will continue refining the draft plans plan concepts with the goal of submitting a final plan to the Minnesota Department of Education in December. Ultimately, the district plans to present a referendum to voters in the spring of 2025.
As we gather and evaluate feedback from the community in the coming months, the school board will consider various options to address our district’s facilities needs. The board will likely present a final plan to voters before the end of 2024.
Nevis In the News
11.08.24 | Park Rapids Enterprise | “Nevis school district moving forward with facility planning”
10.15.24 | Park Rapids Enterprise | “Nevis school will host ice cream social and facility tour on October 30”
10.05.24 | Park Rapids Enterprise | “A great start to the school year”
09.26.24 | Park Rapids Enterprise | “Preliminary concept emerges for remodeled Nevis School”
Connect with Us!
The most important thing we can do is listen. We value your feedback on the needs of our facilities and the process so far. Please reach out with questions or input.
Prepared and paid for by Nevis Public School District, 210 Pleasant St. W., Nevis, MN, 56467. This publication is not circulated on behalf of any candidate or ballot question.