Arrangements made for Wadena-Deer Creek High School students

by Cara Newberry

A month has passed since the destruction of Wadena and the surrounding area due to the massive tornadoes that tore through the town. Area businesses and homes were damaged, including the community center, public swimming pool, and the Wadena-Deer Creek High School building.
With the extensive damage done to the school, students are left looking for a new location to call home. The Riverport Insurance report has not been finalized as of yet, but Superintendent Virginia Dahlstrom has a strong feeling the building is far too deteriorated to be repaired in any way. Damage to both the main entrance and almost all of the high school classrooms and teaching amenities was sustained.
The school year is set to start on September 7, despite the loss of the high school. This will be possible with the new arrangements made by several establishments.
St. Ann’Äôs School, which was recently closed, will be used for the ECFE program, WDC preschool and head start. There are six classrooms available for use, as well as an area for eating and a playground.
WDC elementary students in grades K-6 will remain in the current elementary building. Reportable damage was not sustained, although a new addition to the kindergarten is in the works.
The seventh and eighth grade students will be located in the Deer Creek School. Tyler Church, the WDC High School Principal, will be splitting his time between both Wadena and Deer Creek. Half of the Deer Creek facility will be designated for the White Pines and Leaf River Academy, a separate program from the junior high.
The ninth through twelfth grade students are moving into classrooms offered by the M-State Technical School. Classes were moved around within M-State to accommodate the high school.
Seventeen classrooms and a commons area were set aside on the northeast wing of the school for the WDC students. Art, music and physical education classes will be taught at the elementary school. A separate entrance along the east side of the M-State will be specifically for WDC students.
Athletic programs will remain the same, contrary to some rumors. Varsity sports will be housed in the elementary gym.
"The community and school has pulled together beautifully," said Dahlstrom. "We definitely will be rebuilding with a lot of community input on what it will look like."
Unofficially, the district's loss at the high school is believed to be 80-85 percent. State Senator Dan Skogen said he plans to introduce legislation to aid the WDC school district due to declining enrollment concerns following the June tornado.

Photo: The front entrance of the Wadena-Deer Creek High School after taking a direct hit from the tornado that tore through Wadena on June 17.