Andrea Johnson/MDN Brekka Kramer, president of the Minot Chamber EDC; Jim Rostad, president of the Minot Public School Board; Mark Vollmer, superintendent of the Minot Public Schools; and Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, attended a groundbreaking on Monday for Minot North High School.

The Minot Public Schools celebrated the groundbreaking for Minot North High School on Monday with several rounds of applause and praise.

“I cannot believe this is actually happening,” said an excited Harlan Johnson, who will be the principal at the new 9-12 high school when it opens in the fall of 2024.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, who attended the groundbreaking, praised superintendent Mark Vollmer for his great efforts on behalf of kids and the great school board members and faculty and staff.

Vollmer spent many hours speaking to service groups and others about the project and how the new high school would address district needs in the lead-up to last December’s bond issue election.

The bond issue passed overwhelmingly and will fund renovation and new construction for the new 9-12 high school and a technical center at the site of the old Cognizant building at 2000 21st Ave. NW. Cognizant donated the property to the district for the nominal fee of $10. The bond issue will also pay to renovate Minot High School-Magic City Campus into a 9-12 high school and Minot High School-Central Campus into a third in-town middle school.

Minot High is currently spread across two campuses, with Magic City Campus attended by students in grades 11-12 and Central Campus attended by students in grades 9-10. Minot is nearly unique in having a divided high school.

Assistant Superintendent Kim Slotsve remarked on Monday that some Minot students don’t believe high school starts until their junior year because of the set-up.

School board president Jim Rostad said the late Lowell Latimer, who was a former Minot school administrator, told him 30 years ago that a four-year high school would be better for kids.

Tom Ross, mayor of Minot, said his father dug the pool at Magic City Campus, which opened in 1973. A new high school will be good not only for students in the Minot Public schools but also for Minot as a whole, said Ross.

Rep. Scott Louser, R-Dist. 5, said he believes having two high schools will result in a healthy rivalry between Magic City Campus and Minot North and will expand opportunities for students. Students who will attend Minot North are already competing on athletic teams as the Minot North Sentinels.