Like so many teachers across the West Fargo School District have over the past three years, the staff of the West Fargo Community High School/Adult Education program will spend their weeks before the start of school moving boxes from one building to another.

The community high school and adult education programs, which just moved into the Leidal Education Center with District's administrative offices less than six years ago, will be relocating to the Lodoen Center, making room for an increased student population and creating space for more administrative offices at their former location.

";As the District continues to grow, its evident that we need more space for administrative offices,"; Chuck Cheney, superintendent of West Fargo schools, told the School Board and Community High staff last spring. ";We think the move will be a win-win situation.";

According to Community High Principal Coleen Bremer, Cheney's thoughts were right on track. Steps were taken to make the second floor of the Lodoen Community Center a fitting home to the program that helps many students who need a change of scenery from the normal high school. With the move, Bremer said the program will help meet the increased needs of the community high.

";Last year, and in previous years, our enrollment limit was at about 45 students. That created a pretty big waiting list. This year, we'll be able to house 60 students at a time, and we already have about 75 names on the list (for Community High School),"; Bremer said.

Other changes will include an ability to house a school lunch program thanks to a kitchen inside the building, a physical activities area in the old gymnasium, and grounds that are located away from the business of Main Avenue.

One of the two main issues hindering a move to the Lodoen Center at first was a question of security. In the current building, students entered right in front of the main offices, and the staff could see who was coming or going.

";We were concerned that since this was such a big building, security would be a bigger issue,"; Bremer said. ";But we have an entrance that leads right up to the school, which the kids will use. The doors on the south side of our area will let you out of the building, but students will need to contact the office to get in through that way. And the offices are going to be equipped with monitors that will show what the cameras throughout the building are picking up. So we think many of those initial concerns with security will be met.";

Another concern was a sense that the community high school kids would be going back to a building that didn't hold some great memories for them. Some student voiced that concern on the Pioneer Web site when the issue was brought up for a chat discussion last spring. But with the changes made, and a little bit of extra attention from Cheney and his staff, the students are looking forward to the move.

";Dr. Cheney came and spoke to the kids last spring, and told them what kind of things had been done to the building,"; Bremer said. ";Much of the dialogue in designing the second floor involved the students. It's tough to even tell that it used to be the middle school. And to have access to all of the new things and to be so close to the new library, they're excited to have those resources. They helped us pack up things at the end of the year last May.";

School begins and less than four weeks, and Bremer said she's excited to see the opportunities students will have at the new building.

";We'll have a lot of cooperative programming with the entities in the building, which gives the students some new opportunities. It's all happened very fast, but we're looking forward to it.";