Velva School Addition Nearly Ready - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Velva School Addition Nearly Ready

With some kids back in the classroom today, another area school is nearly ready to welcome kids to a new addition.
All week, Jim Olson has been showing us local school districts where big enrollment gains have been leading to changes.
Tonight, he wraps up his reports with a trip to Velva where, believe it or not, the western North Dakota oil boom is also being felt in the school system.

 Steve Swiontek has only been on the job as superintendent at Velva for a couple of weeks and already he has brand new facilities to show off.

(Steve Swiontek, Velva Superintendent) "As you can see there are some things to do yet, before the 23rd."

There are plenty of things to do before the August 23rd first day of school in Velva.  But Swiontek says, for the most part, the four-and-a-half million dollar renovation and addition project will be ready for students.

(Steve Swiontek, Velva Superintendent) "Gym, lunchroom, several classrooms, a new vocational area, it's coming along nicely for the most part.  Some problems in the commons area, the lunchroom, and that might not be ready for the first day of school."

The hold up on the commons area is blamed on something lots of people doing construction work this year can relate to.

(Steve Swiontek, Velva Superintendent) "Getting people here to get it done - it's a very busy time in North Dakota so getting contractors here on time to get it done is difficult from time to time."

The reasons Velva School leaders decided to make these changes?

(Steve Swiontek, Velva Superintendent) "This will be the commons and lunchroom and kitchen."

The new superintendent says there are several.

(Steve Swiontek, Velva Superintendent) "There was certainly space issues for the school.  The cafeteria was an old gymnasium, actually it was from the 20s so they needed to redo that."

And there's one more - oil.

(Steve Swiontek, Velva Superintendent) "We have some people from the oil fields moving into town from the outlying areas so I think some of the increase is due to that."

He expects enrollment to be up from about 370 when last school year ended to 400 or more when classes resume.  And there'll be some new teachers on the job to greet those students.

(Steve Swiontek, Velva Superintendent) "There were some retirements and some movement but very little so I think there's an additional five new teachers this year."

They'll all be ready - including most of the construction - by the time the growing student body at Velva reports for class on the 23rd.  In Velva, Jim Olson, KX News.

Along with a new superintendent, Velva High School will also have a new principal this year - Ryan Hardy is taking over this fall.