District unveils designs for consolidated Next Step/Pathways transition campus; built for up to 120 students

South Washington County Schools received a design update for a new consolidated Next Step Transition facility that will combine the district’s Next Step and Pathways programs into a single campus, district leaders and the architect said.

Mark DuBois of Como Architects described the project as “a new home, really,” explaining the design intent to create a nurturing, flexible learning environment with bright, open spaces and strong indoor‑outdoor connections. The district purchased an existing church building at the corner of Seventieth and Jamaica in Cottage Grove and plans to renovate the western portion while adding an eastern expansion, DuBois said.

The design calls for a secure main entry, an existing sanctuary converted to a large multipurpose room for meals and large‑motor activities, a kitchen and servery, and a set of educational classrooms and specialist labs to the east. DuBois said the east addition will include a combined culinary lab and an independent‑living suite, an informal learning node with large glass views, a work‑based learning lab, and a horticulture/makerspace with direct access to an outdoor learning patio. The design also shows a paved sport court and roughly a 10,000‑square‑foot grass play area.

Nikki Locke, lead for the Next Step Pathways program, told the board the program opened this year with about 92 students and currently serves about 82 as students age out. Students who remain eligible can continue through “the day before they turn 22,” Locke said. District staff and the architect said the building has been designed to accommodate up to 120 students in the coming years.

DuBois outlined a schedule that targets putting construction drawings out to bid in May 2025, beginning construction in fall 2025 and completing the project for occupancy in fall 2026. The district’s existing lease at Valley Creek Mall expires to align with the move; the Cottage Grove lease runs through 2027 and district staff said they will evaluate whether to terminate or repurpose that space.

Board members asked about student input; Locke said students wanted more windows and spaces for horticulture and cooking, which informed design choices. Parents and community members in the meeting praised the plan; one parent asked whether graduations might be held in the new multipurpose area, to which Locke responded, “We would love to host our graduates and our families and their friends in our new school.”

DuBois and Locke said the design emphasizes community access and student ownership: the multipurpose room could host pop‑up marketplaces to sell student projects, and outdoor planting beds could be built and maintained by students. While the facility will have a kitchen and servery, Locke said lunches will continue to be brought in from existing district kitchens; the on‑site food service layout is intended to increase student independence at meal times.

No construction contract was approved at the meeting; the item was an informational update and the board will consider bids and procurement in future business meetings.