Updates on the New Mora High School
As we move into the final months of construction at the new Mora High School we are preparing and planning for many changes. Moving into a brand new school with 21st century learning spaces and facilities will be a positive change for our students, staff, and community. The new Mora High School will be a facility that all of us can be proud of and will provide generations of students, staff, families, and community members opportunities to learn and grow in new ways. At the same time, with anything new and different there will be some challenges and adjustments we will all encounter. As with any change, we will all have to be patient, flexible, and work together to find creative solutions.
Past Mora School District leaders and School Board members had the vision to create one campus on the Trailview site. That vision has now become a reality for Mora Public Schools. Here are some updates as we move closer to the new Mora High School opening the fall of 2023.
School Safety and Violence Prevention
School leaders and School Resource Officers (SRO) from around the state attended the first Minnesota school violence prevention symposium this fall. Schools, businesses, places of worship, shopping centers, and other public spaces continue to plan and prepare for all types of situations to keep our buildings as safe as possible.
One of the key messages shared at the symposium was the importance of having comprehensive safety plans that include the following three areas: Prevention, planning, and policy.
Prevention - This includes programs aimed at preventing students from engaging in harmful behaviors. Mora Schools has research based programs that promote positive behaviors (PBIS), anti-bullying education, social & character skills, and making healthy choices for all of our students. Our staff work closely to partner with our county and community resources to provide mental health education and support along with suicide prevention. Just as important, schools should provide an environment that is positive, welcoming, inclusive, along with having access to natural light and the outdoors.
Planning - Our school administration, staff, and Kanabec County Sheriff’s Office work closely together to create plans and procedures on how to respond during emergency or crisis situations. School staff review safety plans and procedures and practice them with our students and staff.
Policy - All schools, including Mora Public Schools, must implement and uphold school safety policies. The State of Minnesota requires schools to develop policies regarding: Bullying and cyberbullying, harassment, crisis management, hazing, and weapons. Mora Schools continues to review, revise, and educate our students and staff on policies and procedures regarding school safety.
The design of the new Mora High School will include many features that will enhance school safety and violence prevention. The school environment will have a dramatic increase in natural light with increased visibility in and out of the classrooms. This will help create a positive learning environment with an emphasis on community. We have planned to create a safe environment by installing physical safety and security measures by establishing one secure entry point for all visitors including secure visitor checks. We have installed lockdown points to separate and secure different parts of the school along with secure door access points and improved security cameras. In addition, Kanabec County provides Mora Schools with a school resource officer on site three days a week.
Mora Public Schools wants to assure you that the safety of our students, staff, and visitors is our top priority. We are constantly reviewing our safety and security measures to ensure that we are doing everything we can to protect our students and staff.
Transportation and Traffic Management
One of the changes to the new campus will be the increase in traffic during specific times of the day. We all know the traffic flow 10-15 minutes before and after school is always busy. Mora Schools has been meeting and discussing options for managing traffic flow at and around our campus with the City of Mora, Kanabec County, and MnDOT these past three years. Below are some strategies Mora Schools along with our city, county, and state partners have developed to maximize traffic flow and create safe routes to schools.
The new Mora High School will have two entrances and exits to access the school and parking lot. One off of 9th Street N. and another off of Grove Street.
Mora Elementary and High School will have staggered start and end times. Elementary students who are picked up or walk will be released earlier to provide better traffic flow.
MES will release students at 2:55 pm and MHS will release students at 3:00 pm.
Mora High school will have a longer queue for drop off and pick up to help alleviate congestion on 9th Street N. These vehicles will exit north out of the parking lot and onto Grove Street.
The City of Mora and MnDOT will add a left turn lane on Hwy 65 to enter 9th Street N. This will help traffic turn onto 9th Street N.
In addition, MnDOT has extended their Hwy 65 and Hwy 23 corridor study to include the 9th St. N./Hwy 65 intersection. Although the project will not be completed for several more years, it is helpful to know this intersection will be studied and reviewed. The City of Mora has secured a Safe Routes to School grant to extend the walking trail from 9th to Wood Street, connecting a safe off-street pedestrian route to and from school and residential and downtown areas. Mora Schools will continue to work closely with our city, county, and state agencies to observe, review, and make needed adjustments and improvements to help manage traffic during peak times before and after school.
We will continue to communicate and educate students, parents, staff, and community members about school transportation and traffic management. We pledge to do our very best to create a safe school zone, maximize traffic flow, and make adjustments as needed. Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation as we navigate these changes.
