1883   Mora School District #9 was started.  The first school board rented a house so May Tallman, Age 16, could teach her 10 pupils.   Later in the year, a one-room schoolhouse was built.

1887 – State property tax levy for support of schools initiated. Funds were allocated in proportion to the number of pupils in attendance at least 40 days in a school with a qualified teacher.

The population grew and the board decided to build a new school (shown above).  The total cost for this school was $2, 390.

Mora’s schools never seemed to have enough room.  A nearby house was rented for students to study at.

1901   A two-room addition was added to the Mora school. 

1904 A four-room addition was added as enrollment continued to grow. 

1910 Elementary classes started attended at Mora School building

1911 Mora Public Schools became Independent District No 1 with its own superintendent.  It was no longer a part of the rural school system.

1911 Financial incentives for school consolidation, were initiated, including transportation aid and matching funds for school construction (there were about 8,00 districts in the MN at this time.

1917 The Mora School Board decided the town could support a new high school building.

1918   Dedication of the new High School building

1936 a New elementary school was built to replace the deteriorating 1890 building.

1936 Addition to high school -$70,000 Bond Issue

1950 Addition to high school -$160,00 Bond Issue

1954 Addition to high school -$200,000Bond Issue

1958 Fairview Elementary School built and high School addition-  $450,000 Bond Issue

1960 Minnesota legislature required all schools without a high school program to consolidate with a school that offered upper-level classes.

1960 Picture of the Mora High School

1965 Elementary addition  -$560,000 Bond Issue

1970  Quamba School purchased -$35,000 Purchase

1970 Temporaries - $13,000 Purchase

1972 Coin School was the last rural school to consolidate in the county.  Minnesota legislature required all schools without a high school program to join a school that offered upper-level classes.

1971 The Coin School was the last in the county to consolidate with Mora

1971 Vocational Center  $51,00 Purchase

1974 High School Addition  $860,000 Purchase

1975 Temporaries  $22,600 Purchase

1976 High School Addition  $2,078,000 Bond Issue and Purchase

1978 Track and Field   86,000 Purchases

1979 Elementary Addition North Gym/Music room - $420,00 Purchase

1982   Fairview Elementary – 7-classroom addition  $377,00 Purchased. $150,000 Bond Issue

1988 Temporaries (3) $41,173 Purchased

1989 High School (Third Floor and New gymnasium) $1,390,000 Bond Issue

1989 Re-roofing Vocational Center $25,500 Purchase

1994 Trailview Elementary built, Technology updates, all schools and Fairview Elementary Improvements - 7.7 million Bond Issue

2017 New Addition to  Trailview Elementary

ICS assisted Mora Public Schools with the passage of a $19.6 million bond referendum in May 2015 that included both the expansion and renovation of Trailview Elementary. ICS provided project development, project planning, and construction management services for this successful project. Thanks to this project, in collaboration with the FirstLight Community Wellness Center, Mora’s students are benefiting from the new educational and extra-curricular opportunities that are a part of having all elementary facilities combined under one roof.

In addition, ICS also managed the successful completion of the new FirstLight Wellness Center project after a successful $3.4 Million referendum in November 2017. The District also received a donation from FirstLight Health System to help fund the remainder of this $10.6 Million project. This 54,000-square-foot facility provides residents with year-round access to a 200-meter track, a separate elevated walking track, a large multipurpose space that includes four basketball/volleyball/tennis courts, and community fitness and education spaces. Both projects were successfully completed on time and on budget.

• Completed 2017

• $3,100,000

• 134,000 square feet

• $23/SF project valuation

References:

Troolin, A., & Foster, E. J. (2012) Images of America Kanabec County, Charleston,  South Caroline:  Arcadia Publishing.

http://www.lakesnwoods.com/MoraGallery.htm  2015

http://maps.google.com  2015