The tiny town of Lamberton in rural Minnesota has a lot to be thankful for this year.
Headed into the Thanksgiving break, the community of about 800 people two hours west of Minneapolis is reflecting on the first month of its brand new school building being open.
It’s a long-awaited—and much-needed—upgrade for students and teachers, yes, but it’s also an investment in the longevity of the Lamberton community in general, local leaders say.
In Lamberton, like other small, rural communities across the country, the school is the heart of the town. It’s also the town’s largest employer, it’s where fundraisers and community events are held, and it’s something that draws people to the town—whether they’re visiting for an athletic event or deciding on a place to live.
“The two are fully intertwined,” said Superintendent Todd Lee. “We are all very aware of that.”
Two years ago, Lamberton’s lone school that houses all 400 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12—built more than 100 years ago—was literally falling apart. Pipes were so old that parts rusted away, causing the plumbing and water systems to malfunction, and forcing the district to cancel classes for several days while construction crews drilled into the building’s foundation to replace the pipes.
It had been clear for a while that the district’s lone school was well past its prime, but that event and its impact on kids’ ability to learn solidified for district leaders and community members alike that Lamberton was in dire need of a new building—and soon.
“When you’re getting to the point where you have to close school, it’s a huge problem,” said Lee from his office in the new building, with windows that face the old school just one block away. “It had just outlived its use.”
In October, the new Red Rock Central school opened to the community—a $41 million investment that district leaders hope will improve nearly every facet of the school experience, from safety to academic achievement. And the benefits will likely extend to the broader community, school and town leaders say, with the school serving as a magnet for community events and for families looking for high-quality academics, leading to a ripple effect on the local economy.
“The alternatives of a school disappearing in a community like one that we’re located in is not a good alternative,” said Brian Kletscher, a former county commissioner and current CEO of Highwater Ethanol, a fuel supplier based in Lamberton and one of the largest employers in the region. “Having a new school, a strong school with good education, is a draw for potential employees coming in and for maintaining the employees that we have, which I think is important for Lamberton as a whole. It stabilizes the employees we have available in our workforce.”
District hopes new facility can boost enrollment
Lamberton is small—fewer than 800 people live there, and the population has been decreasing gradually for the past few decades, according to census data.
The school district itself has not lost students in recent years, largely attributable to the fact it serves several area towns—Storden, Jeffers, and Sanborn—that in past decades consolidated their school districts into one, making Red Rock Central.
But Minnesota also has “open enrollment,” meaning students may choose to attend a school other than the one they are assigned to based on their physical address. So, students who live outside the boundaries of Red Rock Central could opt for the new school in Lamberton, whether it’s physically closer to their home address or they think it provides better opportunities—including facilities.
“One hope is that it means we’re going to be able to attract new students, but also just keep the students in our district that we already have, if possible,” Lee said. “We want to at least maintain—but hopefully increase—enrollment.”
By the third week the new school was open, seven new students had enrolled in the district and started attending, Lee said later.
New school offers upgraded security
For the school community, the new building isn’t just about having something that looks nice, Lee said. It’s about increased safety thanks to new camera systems, a security vestibule, and controlled access that records who swiped their key card at what door and when. Lamberton does have a police department in town, but officers work on a part-time schedule, and if they’re not on duty, the next-closest police department is about 25 minutes away.
“In the old building there was something like 16 different entrances all around the building which were hard to monitor and the doors got propped open, and that’s a serious safety issue,” Lee said. “The improvements in that area, and having secure entrances, is a huge deal for us.”
Red Rock Central also took the opportunity to incorporate flexible seating—like the learning stairs, a large, wide staircase in the cafeteria where students can sit and socialize or work on homework. Such seating has been shown to improve school culture and increase student engagement.
The new school has been a whole community effort from beginning to end.
It was made possible by a $41 million referendum approved by voters in the district in November 2021. It raised property taxes for home and land owners, an investment the majority of local voters determined was worthwhile. On average, homeowners’ taxes increased less than $50 per year, though the total impact varied based on home and property values.
Then, prices on construction projects skyrocketed. Lee and his team had to cut several items from the project—like many features of the theater and a new playground apparatus. Later, the school was able to reinstate most of the main features, but there wasn’t enough money to install a large digital scoreboard in the gym.
So, local businesses stepped in and sponsored the installation of the scoreboard, paying for it in exchange for advertising alongside it.
“That shows the community values this project and this school, and that feels really validating,” said Clayton Hubert, the K-12 art teacher.
Hubert has worked in the district for more than a decade. He saw the need for a new building and is excited by his new room in the school, which is much larger than his previous spot with more space for activities and projects.
Hubert also grew up in the area and attended school in the old building, so there’s some nostalgia and sadness in moving out of the former school, too. But it’s outweighed by the hope and excitement about the opportunities that come with the new school, Hubert said.
“A change is a change, and change can be hard in a lot of ways,” Hubert said. “But it’s easy to tell when it’s a good change overall.”
