Facilities Committee tour of new school may lead to later vote in New Hampton

Members of New Hampton’s Facilities Committee arrived at Charles City Middle School Wednesday evening not sure what to expect; they left impressed.And that may mean a potential referendum in New Hampton may be pushed back to February.For the past two months, the committee has been meeting to discuss the possibility of building a new middle school near the current high school, which would allow the district to get out of the 1913 building that is part of its downtown elementary and middle school complex.Although nothing had been set in stone, the committee appeared to be working toward bringing a referendum to voters in December, but Wednesday’s tour of Charles City’s new middle school may have thrown a wrinkle in that plan.Superintendent Jay Jurrens said committee members wanted to tour the school because they had heard it was “innovative and different.”And what they heard was a reality.Charles City didn’t build a traditional brick-and-mortar building; in fact, maybe the most oft-heard comment heard as committee members arrived on the campus were “it doesn’t look like a school.”For the complete story see the 09/30/2016 New Hampton Tribune.