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https://www.inforum.com/news/fargo/nearly-500-students-join-in-on-preparations-to-build-fargos-new-horace-mann-elementary Nearly 500 students join in on preparations to build Fargo's new Horace Mann Elementary The 110-year-old school will be demolished in June to make way for a new, combined $45 million elementary. Horace Mann, Roosevelt and Madison elementary students gather on the north lawn of Horace Mann Elementary School on Friday, May 22, 2026, in north Fargo for a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, $45 million Horace Mann School. Horace Mann, Roosevelt and Madison elementary students gather on the north lawn of Horace Mann Elementary School on Friday, May 22, 2026, in north Fargo for a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, $45 million Horace Mann School.Chris Flynn / The Forum By Robin Huebner and Kaylee Robinson May 22, 2026 at 5:30 PM Listen Comments Share News Reporting FARGO -- Nearly 500 children from three northside schools gathered at Horace Mann Elementary to witness a ceremonial groundbreaking for what will be their new, combined school. Sorry, the video player failed to load.(Error Code: 101102) Students from Horace Mann, Roosevelt and Madison schools sat on the grass as a handful of their classmates joined leaders from Fargo Public Schools, school board members and construction and architecture team members in using shovels to turn dirt. Elementary students and teachers from Horace Mann, Madison, and Roosevelt schools take part in a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo for the new Horace Mann School. Elementary students and teachers from Horace Mann, Roosevelt and Madison schools watch a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo for the new Horace Mann School. Chris Flynn / The Forum Serving as the ceremony backdrop, the 110-year-old school at 1025 Third St. N. will be replaced by a $45 million school building slated to open in fall of 2028. Leandra Ostrom, principal of Horace Mann-Roosevelt, could hardly contain her excitement. Leandra Ostrom, principal of Horace Mann and Roosevelt Elementary Schools, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School on Friday, May 22, 2026, in north Fargo, with members of the Fargo Board of Education; representatives from Kraus-Anderson and ICON Architectural Group; and teachers and students from Horace Mann, Madison, and Roosevelt Elementary Schools. Leandra Ostrom, principal of Horace Mann-Roosevelt Elementary Schools, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School on Friday, May 22, 2026, in north Fargo, with members of the Fargo Board of Education; representatives from Kraus-Anderson and ICON Architectural Group; and teachers and students from Horace Mann, Roosevelt and Madison Elementary Schools. Chris Flynn / The Forum "I'm in a spot of joy and reflection and a little bit of nostalgia. I'm all over the map," she said. The ceremony kicked off with Katie Christensen Mineer, school board president, welcoming students with a brief history lesson delivered in rhyme, prompting students to finish each line. Fargo Board of Education president Katie Christensen Mineer speaks on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School. Fargo Board of Education president Katie Christensen Mineer speaks on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School. Chris Flynn / The Forum "Different schools, one future, one community, one pride. Together, all of us here, we are the north side," she said. Superintendent Cory Steiner told adults in the crowd he understands the trepidation they might feel about changes to their community centerpiece. Superintendent of Fargo Public Schools Cory Steiner speaks on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School. Superintendent of Fargo Public Schools Cory Steiner speaks on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School. Chris Flynn / The Forum But he said the memories that have been created -- with favorite teachers and forever friends-- will never go away. "No matter what building sits on these grounds, those memories are going to remain forever," Steiner said. Ostrom said she's excited about the energy the new school will bring to the neighborhood. "We're excited to get our learners a fresh new place to learn, and our teachers a fresh new place to be professional and creative, and a brand new place to keep loving children," she said. Members of the Fargo Board of Education, superintendent of Fargo Public Schools Cory Steiner, elementary students, and Leandra Ostrom, principal of Horace Mann and Roosevelt Elementary schools, break ground on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo for the new Horace Mann School. Members of the Fargo Board of Education, Fargo Public Schools Superintendent Cory Steiner, elementary students and Leandra Ostrom, principal of Horace Mann-Roosevelt elementary schools, break ground on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo for the new Horace Mann School. Chris Flynn / The Forum The new elementary school will be home to approximately 444 students. Its construction is a result of the district's long-range facility plan, which identified a need to address declining enrollment on the north side and to modernize aging facilities. For the next two academic years, students affected by the construction or new attendance boundaries will attend other schools. Representatives from Kraus-Anderson and ICON Architectural Group with the superintendent of Fargo Public Schools, Cory Steiner, break ground on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo for the new Horace Mann School. Representatives from Kraus-Anderson and ICON Architectural Group, and Fargo Public Schools Superintendent Cory Steiner, break ground on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo for the new Horace Mann School. Chris Flynn / The Forum Once the new Horace Mann is finished and students move in, the current Roosevelt and Madison school buildings may be repurposed, the district has said previously. In November, the school board voted to retain the name Horace Mann Elementary for the new school. Robin Nelson, school board vice president, fought hard to keep the name. She attended Horace Mann from kindergarten through sixth grade, and recalls playing softball on the very field where she was standing. "So many wonderful memories, wonderful teachers that shaped my life ... this is bittersweet," Nelson said. Elementary students from Horace Mann, Madison, and Roosevelt schools listen as Fargo Board of Education president Katie Christensen Mineer speaks on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School. Elementary students from Horace Mann, Roosevelt and Madison schools listen as Fargo Board of Education President Katie Christensen Mineer speaks on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Horace Mann Elementary School in north Fargo during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Horace Mann School. Chris Flynn / The Forum The last day of school in the district is Thursday, June 4. The following day, doors at Horace Mann will close to prepare for moving furniture and other items to other schools for the transition period. The building itself is expected to be demolished the second or third week of June, Ostrom said. Watching that happen, Nelson said, will definitely stir emotions. "It's part of perhaps the grieving process of just the building itself. But I have to keep in mind this is what's best for students, so that's just what I'm going to focus on," she said. __________________________ The Fargo Public School District is seeking proposals from qualified materials testing and special inspection agencies for third-party testing and inspection services for the Horace Mann Elementary School construction project. The agency will ensure that the contractor is using suitable materials and building on suitably compacted fill material in accordance with IBC Chapter 17 requirements.