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VELC Construction Updates: Follow Our Progress

Follow Our Progress

News Brief: November, 2025

Construction Begins!
Shortly after the district’s official Groundbreaking Ceremony on September 30th, Garco Construction mobilized for site preparation and began work on the new Valley Early Learning Center. Perimeter safety fencing is up and huge earth moving equipment is creating the foundation area for the approximately 13,000 square foot building. Excess dirt is being relocated onto district property east of campus.

Months earlier, hillside logging was completed while district staff adjusted for more limited parking areas and found space for and moved staff and supplies out of the four aging portable buildings. These buildings were deemed surplus, sold and/or removed. Early learning classes will continue in the two remaining portables visible from Highway 231 this school year. Utility and technology underground lines have been adjusted to accommodate the classrooms and campus site work.

The building teams are working on an aggressive timeline, aiming to set and pour foundation footings as soon as site preparation work wraps up. So far, everything is on track (fingers crossed) to open the new school in the fall of 2026!
 

News Brief: October 9, 2025

Early Learning Facility Construction Groundbreaking Ceremony Sept. 30th
The Valley School District Board of Directors, administrators, staff and students from every school, program and department gathered outdoors with community stakeholders near the future site of Valley Early Learning Center (VELC) for a special Groundbreaking Ceremony on September 30th to kick-off construction of the new facility and campus.

This event marks the culmination of well over ten years of fiscal planning by the district to provide a permanent building for its high quality early learning program, which has been housed in portable buildings for the last fifteen years. The construction effort is being funded through a combination of district capital funds, early learning facility grants, and a twenty year bond. The state’s School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) does not fund early learning facilities.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

News Brief: June 19, 2025
New Early Learning Facility Construction Effort Underway
Groundwork
The complex process of building a new early learning facility in Valley is progressing well! This initiative is made possible by the community’s overwhelming support of the Construction Bond measure, which passed by 64.85% of voters in February. Thanks to the combined efforts of district residents, leadership teams, and excellent construction professionals, our vision of a safe, modern facility for our youngest learners will soon become a reality. The project is being paid for with district capital funds, substantial early learning grants, and Bond funds.

The facility team collaboratively selected a “hillside treehouse” design, tucking a multi-level building into the existing topography. The general layout of the inside classrooms, service areas, outdoor green/play spaces, parking and traffic flow have been determined. The team is now shifting their focus to selecting construction materials, finish details, and aligning costs to fit within the project budget. The construction plans are on track for breaking ground sometime in August. This new educational facility will positively impact many generations of Valley students and families.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

CONCEPTUAL IMAGE OF THE NEW VALLEY EARLY LEARNING CENTER

Exterior conceptual image of the new modern Valley early learning facility with a parking lot and trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A detailed architectural floor plan of the new Valley Early Learning Center facility, showing various rooms and spaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIEW MORE IMAGES – Site plan, floor plan and interiors

Construction Activities

View of VELC construction site initial groundwork leveling the foundation area under a cloudy sky.
View of VELC construction site from above with excavator digging the footing trenches for the upper level building.
View of VELC Construction site from the District Office building. Initial framing of upper wing.
View of VELC Construction site from the District Office building. Initial framing of upper wing; closer view.
View of VELC Construction site from the District Office building. Roofing framing and sheathing of upper wing.
View of new VELC facility construction with upper wing sheathing completed.
View of VELC construction site from District Office building-main building framing in progress.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

A sign displays architectural renderings and a floor plan for the new Early Learning Facility with the text 'Thank you for helping us build our future!'
A group of Valley School students sit outdoors in front of speaker Supt. Mandi Rehn at early learning facility construction groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 30, 2025.
A photo of the crowd at the Valley early learning facility construction groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 30, 2025.
Current Valley Early Learning Center students shovel dirt at the new facility groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 30, 2025.
Valley School Board members and Committee for Children members shovel dirt to mark beginning of construction on the new early learning center in Valley.