GRAND FORKS – At the Grand Forks Public Schools’ beam-raising ceremony Thursday, Oct. 24, for Valley Middle School, Superintendent Terry Brenner spoke briefly about the importance of the new school to the neighborhood and to advancing education here.
“The north-end neighborhood is so deserving of a school that will take us into the 22nd century,” Brenner told the gathering of a few dozen Construction Engineers and ICON Architects employees, who are most involved in the project, and others.
The building is on schedule and expected to open for classes in January 2026.
The occasion marked a milestone in the construction of the school, which has benefited from this year’s favorable weather conditions – little wind and not much rain – allowing the project to gain ground, said Ron Norman, job superintendent with Construction Engineers.
“The weather has been perfect,” Norman said, noting that the beam-raising is “huge” in the project’s progress.
“We’re getting down to the end of steel,” he said. “Once the steel is set, we can get to the gymnasium area.”
Next week, the Construction Engineers team will begin interior framing on the structure’s second floor, Norman said, noting that the building should be “totally enclosed, I hope, by the first of the year,” allowing for work to continue inside.
Pamela Knudson / Obituary
Lance Monson, pre-construction manager with Construction Engineers, said that, in his work in pricing, he’s mostly in the office, so “I don’t have as much connection with the students” and he’s pleased to see how the project will impact students’ lives.
“It’s nice to come out and see the progress the guys in the field are making,” said Monson, who was among many who signed the 1,200-pound, 26-foot, 2-inch-long beam before it was hoisted by a crane.
Currently enrollment at Valley Middle School is about 500 students, but the new school is designed to accommodate 650 students, Brenner said.
The new Valley Middle School, being built just west of the current school, will feature a number of enhancements, Brenner said. “It will have a good educational vibe to it.”
The design of the building will reflect the most forward-thinking educational philosophy and feature separate learning wings for each grade level, 6, 7 and 8, Brenner said.
It will include “a beautiful cafeteria with a commons area, and a performing space, as well, with a slightly elevated stage,” he said.
Pamela Knudson / Obituary
Because the project came in $2 million under budget, the ICON architects were able to add in some alternative spaces, including activities and wrestling rooms and an area for pickleball, and to expand the gymnasium a few feet more, Brenner said.
The expansion allows for two full basketball courts, positioned sideways, and room for two games to be played simultaneously – thus permitting the school to host tournaments, he said. South Middle School is the only other Grand Forks public school with this feature.
“And, I can’t underscore enough, we will have air conditioning,” Brenner said. “There will never again be ‘early out’ for heat index issues.”
Photo courtesy of Kirsten Carolin / Construction Engineers
Tom Weslie, principal architect with ICON Architects firm and a former Valley student, added his name to the beam. His children did the same. His daughter, Avery, a seventh-grader at Valley, and his son, Greyson, a fifth-grader at St. Michael’s Catholic School, both will attend the new school, he said.
Brandon Baumbach, GFPS business manager, said, “It’s fun to be part of these milestone moments.”
Baumbach noted his anticipation at the prospect of “getting kids in (the building) for their first semester” in January 2026, he said.
Pamela Knudson / Obituary
