PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAYLOR HOWARD/COLLAGE BY TAMA-GRUNDY PUBLISHING

TRAER — North Tama High School students left something significant behind last month on their last day of school before winter break — their 1917 classrooms.

“It is a monumental day for Redhawk Country. Our kids are so deserving of this new space,” North Tama Board Secretary/Treasurer Sara Forrester you’d the newspaper in regard to the district’s new east side addition opening to students on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, following the holiday break.

The addition — which replaces the deteriorating 1917 building — was constructed with proceeds from the district’s $14.85 million bond referendum that passed back in November 2023 after failing by just six votes the previous March. In addition to the new building, the Phase I project also includes secure entry upgrades across the K-12 campus, a reconfiguration of the locker rooms and weight room at the high school in order to become ADA-compliant, the paving of the existing back parking lot, and selective maintenance on other parts of campus.

The district broke ground on the addition – located on the corner of US 63 (Main Street) and Sixth Street – over a year ago in late September 2024. Larson Construction of Independence was hired as the project’s Construction Manager at-Risk (CMAR).

Following the completion of Phase I, the district’s master facility plan includes three more phases with Phase II set to address the 1917 building by demolishing and replacing it with a 25,000 square-foot, one-story addition that would house art, library, a commons, the kitchen, administration, pupil services, and more.

When reached by the newspaper Tuesday afternoon after school ended for the day, North Tama Principal Taylor Howard said, “Everything went great! The students have told me that they love the new building. The entire building is (now) open and usable.”

North Tama will hold a grand opening for the new addition and renovated athletic areas, including the wrestling/weight room, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, from 5-6 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend in order to explore the new facilities. The Telegraph will feature coverage from the open house in the Friday, Jan. 30 edition.