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State officials and school leaders from all over the upper Midwest are visiting a small farm town in southeastern Minnesota. They're coming to tour what could be the school of the future -- the dome school. Until recently Grand Meadow wasn't known for much more than farming. Now school leaders all over Minnesota are intrigued by a new development in the bedroom community south of Rochester.

	Five white domes sit on a stretch of farmland on the edge of town. The partially completed Grand Meadow School looks like giant mushrooms. When completed, a purple band will mark the base of each dome. See additional images. (MPR Photo/Laurel Druley)

Five white domes sit on a stretch of farmland on the edge of town. They look like giant mushrooms. When completed, a purple band will mark the base of each dome. Compared to the houses nearby, the new school looks like a UFO that's accidently landed in Grand Meadow.

Recently, a group of school officials from the Triton district visited Grand Meadow's dome schools. They enter the dimly lit domes for a tour. Superintendent Bob Kelly is here with members of the Triton school board. Kelly's not sure what to make of the sight. "They quit building round barns in Minnesota so why would they be doing this?" Kelly asks. It seems the tour may change his mind. "Until you get down here and take a look at it you don't realize that this is really a pretty neat concept," he says.

Grand Meadow School Superintendent Bruce Klaehn says the tours have become commonplace. Each dome is about as wide as half a football field and four stories high. One will house elementary grades, another secondary. The remaining three domes will have space for a cafeteria, a stage, a gym, a computer lab and administrative offices.

"They quit building round barns in Minnesota so why would they be doing this? Until you get down here and take a look at it you don't realize that this is really a pretty neat concept." - Superintendent Bruce Klaehn

Last fall, construction workers inflated balloons inside the domes to keep them inflated. Then they sprayed layers of insulation and concrete inside. The domes' monolithic construction makes them tornado proof. With the exception of two sky lights the domes will be windowless. The design will help save money on construction and heat. Often used to store grain or fertilizer domes are known for their durability and energy efficiency. The domes will also use geothermal heating and cooling using liquid pumped through 20 miles of buried pipe. The 96,000 square foot school is touted as the largest of its kind in the country. It will serve about 365 students in preschool through 12th grades.

One of the first things anyone notices when they enter the domes, is the echo. Superintendent Klaehn laughs as he says , "it was basically solid concrete from top to bottom and I let out a hoot and it bounced for 20 seconds. I timed it." Klaehn says carpeting and acoustical spray should absorb most of the echo.

About four years ago Klaehn had to make a decision about the current school building. The original school is 85 years old. The roof, heating and handicapped accessibility problems were adding up.

Like many superintendents across the state Klaehn thought he had only two options: remodel or build another conventional school. "It is a very frustrating decision to do a renovation project. A lot of money spent is on retrofit. Everyone knew we would spend $6.5 to 7 million on a project that would leave some our building 50 years old. You'd really like to get more bang for buck and the best use of taxpayer dollar," said Klaehn.

"It was basically solid concrete from top to bottom and I let out a hoot and it bounced for 20 seconds. I timed it." - Superintendent Klaehn

Initially, however, he and the school board chose to remodel. Until a nearby resident inspired them to look into dome construction. Klaehn was skeptical. But after visiting four dome schools in Arizona he became a believer. He says, "When you get someone inside and they see how the program space is laid out and they see how well it uses space then they get very excited."

Klaehn was impressed with the use of space and the couple million dollars he would d save on construction and heat. His next task was convincing taxpayers.

"There certainly is reason to understand why folks would be skeptical", said Klaehn. "Most of the skepticism and most of the negativity is based on a lack of knowledge ... And we told people in the community, we wouldn't just go out and find something in the back of a magazine that we thought would save us a few dollars," he said.

Voters passed an $8 million bond issue by a 3-2 margin in 1998. The state helped out with a $3 million innovation grant. State leaders hope this may be a model for cheaper school construction. The Grand Meadow dome school is scheduled to open this fall.