The Bakken oil boom created a large growth paradigm in the western part of North Dakota and Williston in particular. In the wake of this boom, a population increase and subsequent increase in birth rates and school enrollment is impacting the local schools drastically. With this large wave of students being enrolled, the District’s current facilities are considerably over capacity.
After the failure of their bond votes over the past year, the District had to turn to alternative methods to increase their capacity. Coupled with a push towards 21st century and personalized learning initiatives across the district, the new facility seeks to create an Innovation Academy from an abandoned pool building, creating a center for personalized learning that will enhance the available learning experiences for students in grades 5-8. This new model also encourages a community engagement focus and hand-on learning and work experience. Unlike the previous bond votes, this project is expected to be funded solely from the district’s building fund in addition to private donations in order to keep from impacting property taxes in the community, a common complaint from the previous bond referendums.