The Kaukauna Area School District broke ground Monday on a new middle school, a $169.2 million project approved by voters in a 2024 facilities referendum.The new "Kaukauna Middle School" a name selected at a Jan. 12 board of ed ucation meeting will serve more than 1,200 students in grades 5 through 8.Watch the full broadcast story here: Kaukauna breaks ground on new $169.2 million middle schoolThe project has been three years in the making and is designed to replace the aging River View Middle School, which is more than 100 years old and no longer meets the academic needs of modern students."We understand that strong schools are the foundation to a strong community," Superintendent Mike Slowinski said.Slowinski said one reason the price tag is as large as it is comes down to starting from scratch on an undeveloped site."Building the infrastructure around the school was necessary, this is an undeveloped part of town but that's where the opportunity lies," Slowinski said.The new facility will include classrooms and labs for science, technology, and culinary courses, as well as spaces for student collaboration, project-based learning, and performance. A commons and cafeteria, a 3-court gym, a fitness area for students and community use, and outdoor physical education and practice fields are also part of the plan. The building will also feature energy-efficient systems and natural lighting.Parent Anu Nigam, whose daughter will be among the first students to attend the new school, said the milestone felt significant."It's amazing, it's very exciting," Nigam said.Fourth grader Oliver Behling said he is looking forward to what the new building has to offer."I really like it, it's really big," Behling said.The $169.2 million was passed through a facilities referendum in 2024, which is separate from the operational referendums many districts passed last November.Once students move into the new building, Slowinski said the district plans to sell River View Middle School for potential downtown development."We don't anticipate keeping the school within the district, so we'll be looking into selling it," Slowinski said.Construction is expected to be complete in June 2028, with the first class of students welcomed in fall 2028. ...read more read less