New College Community school debuts

It's anybody's guess how many people will attend Prairie Point Middle School and 9th Grade Academy's open houses Tuesday and Wednesday, but administrators know they'll have room.

The new building of 220,000 square feet boasts an abundance of natural light, a competition gym, a practice gym and oversized hallways. Yet when asked to name something he's most proud of, Principal Greg Leytem doesn't pick any of those features.

“We were able to, in such a large building, maintain a community feel within the building,” Leytem said.

That, he said, is more important than bricks and mortar.

Prairie Point opens its doors for the new school year Thursday, welcoming more than 1,000 seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students.

Construction of the $24.8 million building began in May 2007. The school was designed by OPN Architects; Knutson Construction Company served as general contractor.

The district had separate contracts for the kitchen equipment, lockers, architectural fees, engineering and utility site work before construction, bringing the total price of Prairie Point to $28.1 million.

The decision to make it a ninth grade academy, in addition to a middle school, was both philosophical and pragmatic.

“There was this general feeling that ninth graders were too young to be in high school,” he said. “They weren't ready to be cast in a high school that is constantly growing.”

At the same time, he added, the students are too old for middle school.

The academy is its own wing in the new building, where the freshmen will earn high school credits while preparing for their eventual move to Prairie High School.

“Prairie Point will put the ninth graders in an educational setting more appropriate for their needs and allow for a smoother transition between the middle school and the high school,” said Steve Doser, the district's community relations director.

Pragmatically, the opening of the new school alleviates crowding at all College Community schools.

The former middle school building, now called Prairie Creek Intermediate School, serves fifth and sixth grades. The district's elementary schools educate kindergarten through fourth grade students. Sophomores, juniors and seniors attend Prairie High School.

Prairie Point was paid for by the $38.5 million bond issue voters approved in January 2006.