Van Meter Schools Opens New Building Addition

This August, the Van Meter Community School District welcomed back students with a highly anticipated addition to its historic school. The project was supported by an $18 Million bond issuance, overwhelmingly approved by the Van Meter community in November of 2023. Story Construction was selected to serve as the construction manager as adviser to bring this project to life

The Van Meter Community School hosts all K-12 students on one campus, with the original building built in the early 1900s. The recently completed addition is the third major addition to the school, providing much needed space for the growing student body. The project involved not only the two-story addition to the west end of the building, but also significant improvements to other areas of the school.  

This project required many special considerations and coordination to handle the many challenges of constructing around an active school. This was especially critical given the addition was to be tied into the existing buildings on three sides. The Story Construction team coordinated extensively with the bid pack contractors on site safety, utilization, logistics, material storage, and more to ensure the project could run smoothly alongside school activities. The existing areas of the school were built in different years, presenting another focal point of coordination during design and preconstruction to ensure continuity between spaces.  

The scope of the project involved multiple phases and improvements beginning with a new weightlifting room, secured entries and admin offices, and improvements to concessions and restrooms for athletics. After these were completed, the 48,500 SF addition began. The two-story addition provides an additional 21 classrooms primarily for kindergarten through third grade, including STEM, art, and science rooms. The addition also includes a reception area, media center, and a multi-functional gym and theater space with a control room for audio/visual equipment. The exterior scope of the project included more parking on both the east and north lots and driveways to improve traffic flow.  

“Construction will always come with its share of challenges, but what consistently impressed me about Story Construction in the last two and a half years at Van Meter is their ability to meet those challenges with honesty and solutions,” said Laura Peterson, principal at Unison Design Studio. “They show up when it matters most. At the end of the day, they are genuinely good people, and that makes all the difference during tough conversations. Theyve been a trusted partner who believes in the simple idea that we all succeed together.”