Construction Process For New Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School Being Reported As On Schedule

(KNOX) -The construction process for the new Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School is being reported as on schedule after breaking ground on June 12. The school will be located at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Project Manager Brian Lambrecht from McGough Construction says that nearly all of the foundation of the building has been laid.

The $69 million project will create a 110,000 square foot school that will have up to 500 students from pre-k all the way up to eighth grade.

$55 million of the project’s funding is being provided by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Public Schools on Military Installations Program. The money they are giving will cover about 80 percent, as the rest will be covered by local funds.

The new school will also be powered in part by geothermal energy, which is a renewable form of power production that extracts thermal heat from inside earth’s crust. Geothermal also doesn’t rely on what time of day it is or what season it is.

Lambrecht also says the building will be LEED certified. This means it will have certain efficiency standards and have a majority of its energy come from renewable sources. The school will use solar panels, LED lighting and windows.

The school is reported to be certified at LEED’s silver level, which is their second lowest. It scored between 50 to 59 on LEED’s rubric. The highest score is 110.

MyBaseGuide is a publication for military families and they reported the school will have a digital interface that allows students to track how efficient the building is. The purpose of having a digital interface is for it to be used as a teaching method.

The construction is scheduled to be finished by summer 2028.