Kraus-Anderson Duluth completes North Star Elementary in Virginia, Minn.

September 4, 2024

Kraus-Anderson Duluth has completed construction on North Star Elementary, a new $28.5 million school located at 411 S. 5^th Ave. in Virginia, Minn.

The school is part of Rock Ridge Public School’s massive building project following the consolidation of the Eveleth-Gilbert and Virginia school districts into the Rock Ridge School District.

North Star Elementary, which will serve approximately 600 students annually, was designed by BNDRY Studio to reflect the more urban environment of downtown Virginia, Minnesota.

Sited on a large city block that formerly housed the district’s elementary and high schools, North Star Elementary is three stories tall, minimizing its building footprint and reclaiming greenspace—a longstanding desire of the surrounding community.

The new 79,000-square-foot elementary school for grades 3-6 features a variety of collaborative learning spaces and open-concept classrooms outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and teaching resources. On the building’s second floor above the main commons area, students can extend their learning outdoors via a unique, open-air learning patio.

Construction began in the spring of 2022.

KA continues to lead the field of regional education construction projects and is currently ranked 20th in the nation in the construction of K-12 facilities by Building Design and Construction magazine.  Over the past five years, KA has completed over $1 billion in K-12 projects. KA’s comprehensive school construction services include facility analysis and budget approaches, leading to informed and successful referendum initiatives.