With Phase I of the new Moorhead High School nearing completion, Moorhead Area Public Schools opened the doors of the current MHS building for alumni and community members to take one last trip down memory lane on Saturday, September 30.
The community responded, with close to 1,000 people descending on MHS to walk the halls and absorb the history of the 56-year-old high school.
Classrooms, commons, athletic and other areas were open to visitors with historical information and photographs posted at various stops along a self-guided walking tour organized throughout the building. Former teachers, coaches, administrators and school board members along with current MHS faces welcomed attendees at each stop.
“It was gratifying to see people connecting with—and even learning new things about—MHS as they walked the building,” said MAPS Superintendent Dr. Brandon Lunak. “With multiple generations of Spuds coming out to say goodbye to the current building, we even saw old classmates reconnecting with each other as they reminisced about their time at MHS.”
Phase I of the new Moorhead High School is scheduled to welcome students in early January 2024, at which point demolition plans for the current building will get underway. Phase II of the construction project includes a theater, music classrooms and administrative spaces. This space will occupy the space of the current structure with an estimated completion in the 2025-26 school year.
The community will have a chance to explore the academic areas of the new facility during the MHS Academic Wing Preview on Sunday, December 17, at 2 p.m.; the first public look at the new athletic areas will occur at the New Gym Commissioning, following the 7:30 p.m. MHS basketball game on Wednesday, December 27.
Stay tuned to the MAPS website and social channels for continuing updates on the MHS Construction Project.