VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City school board continues to move cautiously on whether the district should build a new school or repair their existing facilities.

Following their January 19th school board meeting, Superintendent Josh Johnson said the district it facing some tough decisions due to aging buildings.

With that being said, He said there is some support to build a new structure.

School Board Member Darren Anderson said we need to pursue the most cost-effective option. He said maybe we should look at what other school districts have done with their construction projects.

School board president Ryan Mathias said nothing has been finalized and the school board continues to discuss all of the options about the future of the Valley City school district buildings.

In November of 2021, Rob DeMeuse of School Perceptions, the firm hired by the school district to conduct a public survey, told the school board that he doesn’t believes there’s enough support, at this time, for a referendum to pass with the current options on the table.

In November of 2021, Superintendent Josh Johnson said staff members and parents of students supported moving forward with a referendum. But Johnson said according to the School Perceptions survey, those 56 and older, who are not staff members or parents of students are opposed to a referendum.

The Valley City Public School District conducted a community survey back in October of 2021 to find out what direction the public wanted the school district to pursue following their “Exploring the Future of School Facilities” meetings. The survey wanted community feedback on whether the school district should build a new structure or renovate existing buildings.

The full media interview with Josh Johnson on January 19th is available below.