Lolo School District Breaks Ground on New K-8 School
A safe, efficient school, under one roof.
Lolo, MT- April 6, 2022 — Lolo School District has broken ground on a new kindergarten through eighth-grade school building, anticipated to open in fall 2023. The Lolo Community approved a $22.1M bond initiative in September 2020, paving the way for a new school for Lolo. Since that time, Lolo’s school board and administration have worked with their design team, general contractor, and owner’s representative to plan a facility that will serve Lolo students and community for decades into the future. The groundbreaking comes amidst a booming construction market while materials can be hard to get.
“Nobody could've predicted the extraordinary escalation we’ve seen in the past year,” says Dale Olinger, Lolo School Superintendent. “The scarcity of materials, increase in pricing, and labor shortages have impacted the construction ecosystem beyond what we could have imagined just a year ago. We are glad to be working with some top-quality professionals to guide us through these challenging market conditions. The expert teams at A&E Design, Jackson Contractor Group, and Hulteng CCM have been instrumental in keeping our project on track and within budget. Together, we’ve charted a course that will allow us to deliver this new school for our students and community.”
After a construction duration of roughly 16 months, over 500 students will enter a new chapter of Lolo School history that dates back to 1884. The school began as a one-room log structure situated along wagon tracks, surrounded by orchards, farms, and ranches. Today, the current campus consists of six buildings, sprawled across a 30-acre hillside, along the Highway 93 thoroughfare. The new building will consolidate operations under one roof and will include durable materials and contemporary safety measures. The new school and site will include appropriate access for all and will operate with greater efficiency than the current school.
"It's exciting to break ground on a new Lolo School that will meet the community's needs and serve Lolo families for generations to come," says Lolo School Board Chair Jen Hickes. "A big thank you to Lolo voters, and to the teachers and families who helped to make this possible."
