Wagner adds on to school

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Wagner School District is building this new addition, which includes a cafeteria, kitchen and lobby that will be finished this fall. The endeavor is part of a $3 million addition and renovation project at the school. (Melanie Brandert/Republic Photo)

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WAGNER — Wagner students will eat meals in the larger confines of a new cafeteria this fall.

Wagner School District is building a 15,000-square-foot cafeteria, kitchen and lobby onto the front of its K-12 building, Superintendent Susan Smit said.

Employees have been using a small kitchen to serve 1,300 meals a day in the 35-year-old building. Students and staff eat in the gym.

“We just thought it was the appropriate time to make the change to improve the food service that we were providing,” she said.

The cafeteria is part of a roughly $3 million addition and renovation project at the school this summer. The district is paying for the work with capital outlay funds, Smit said.

District officials began looking at the project three years ago and bids were let last summer.

Smit had hoped the project would be done by the time the 2010-11 school year started last week, but the tough winter set the project back six to eight weeks.

The cafeteria will have a capacity for 250 to 300 students with round tables.

“We did go to round tables, because we believe we want to promote conversation and social activity as part of the food service process,” she said.

The expanded area also lends itself to different events, such as district and regional tournaments and community events, Smit said.

The district also completed other summer projects, such as a new elementary office, renovated high school office and upgraded public bathrooms.

Dave Tolliver, food service supervisor, said the larger kitchen will be more organized and efficient than the current one.

For example, ovens are in three different places.

An expanded bakery will allow fresh breads and rolls to be baked early in the morning instead of the afternoon, he said.

Tolliver noted the commons area will lead to less congestion. Students currently have to jockey for space against other students walking to classes when they get in line to eat.

“That is a big improvement for us,” he said.

Smit anticipates the move to the new cafeteria will occur around the Native American Day holiday in October.

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