08.23.12

Hoeven Joins Minot Community to Break Ground on New Ramstad Middle School

MINOT, N.D. – U.S. Senator John Hoeven, along with Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman, Superintendent Mark Vollmer and school officials, today broke ground for the new Erik Ramstad Middle School in Minot. Hoeven has been working with federal, state, local and school officials to secure federal funding to replace Ramstad Middle School and other facilities damaged during the 2011 Souris River flood. The Minot School District has received more than $49.5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance funding to date, including $27.25 million to help replace the Ramstad Middle School.

“This community is making real strides to rebuild and today’s groundbreaking for Ramstad Middle School is a big step forward in Minot’s recovery,” said Hoeven. “We’re pleased to see construction begin on this school and look forward to welcoming students into a new and improved Erik Ramstad Middle School next year. This school will be stronger and better than it was before the flood, just like the people of Minot.”

The new Erik Ramstad Middle School will be 127,000 square feet. It will provide classroom space for up to 750 students, approximately 200 more students than the original building. The new facility will be three levels and has a smaller, more cost-effective footprint. The former school was a single level, 103,000 square feet building. The school is expected to be ready at the beginning of the 2013 school year.

Hoeven and the congressional delegation have been working with Minot community and school leaders to secure federal funding to replace flood-damaged schools in the region. Last winter, Hoeven convened a meeting in Washington, D.C. for state, city and school leaders to meet with FEMA officials to move forward with plans to rebuild the middle school.

In total, Minot and Ward County have received more than $565 million in federal grants, loans and direct assistance to help with recovery efforts in the region.