BACK TO SCHOOL
Celebrating Mandan
Public Schools
Photo by NewAge Creative
CONGRATULATIONS ON A NEW ERA NEW ERA NEW
We’re thrilled to help celebrate the opening of the new Mandan High School and Starion Bank Gymnasium. Congratulations to the Mandan community, Mandan High School administrators, staff, and students on this remarkable new facility. ®
PUBLISHER LETTER
After the excitement of Mandan’s 4th of July celebrations, we find ourselves finally settling into the heart of summer. But here in Mandan, we all know that it is short-lived and once August 1st rolls around, the countdown to the end of summer begins. For many families, this means the hustle of fall sports practices, school shopping, and the return of fall schedules—a time filled with the energy of new beginnings. I’m especially excited to start this season with you through this special edition of Mandan Magazine.
Mandan is more than just a place to me; it’s home. It’s where I grew up, where I went to school, and where I’m now raising my own family. There’s a unique pride that runs deep in our community—a pride in our heritage, our traditions, and especially in our schools. The Mandan Braves have always been a unifying force in our community, a team we all cheer for, whether we’ve lived here our whole lives or just recently made Mandan our home.
This fall is particularly special because it marks the beginning of a new chapter for our community with the opening of the new Mandan High School. Generations of Mandan residents, including myself, my father, and even my son, have walked the halls of the former high school, creating memories, forging friendships, and learning the lessons that shaped who we are today. Now, our children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to create new memories in a beautiful and innovative new space designed for the future.
What makes this fall issue of Mandan Magazine so important is that it allows us to celebrate not just a new building, but what that building represents—a commitment to our students, our educators, and the bright future of Mandan. Inside, you’ll find stories that honor our incredible teachers, explore the history of Mandan Public Schools, and a glimpse into the thoughtful design and construction of the new high school. These stories aren’t just about brick and mortar; they’re about the heart of our community, the faces behind the education of our youth, and the shared vision we have for our future.
As someone who was a Mandan High School graduate, and who will soon watch my own children do the same, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude. This new school is a gift to our community, one that will serve as a foundation for learning, growth, and success for years to come.
Thank you to everyone who has played a part in bringing this vision to life. Your support, your hard work, and your belief in the power of education are what make Mandan the wonderful community that it is. I’m honored to share this moment with all of you, and I look forward to the memories we will continue to create together.
Matt Schanandore (Mandan High Class of 2001) Executive Director, Mandan Progress Organization
Photo by NewAge Creative
Mandan Progress Organization Members
Legacy Level Member
Chevrolet of Mandan
Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
Premiere Level Member
HIT, Inc
Sanford Health
Lewis & Clark Development Group
Interstate Engineering
Mandan Rodeo Days
Excellence Level Members
1806 & Co.
First International Bank & Trust
Funatix Events
Mandan Road Races LLC
National Day Calendar
Open Road Honda
Pepsi America
Stage Stop Saloon & Grill
The Poppy Creative
Third Day Family Farms
Entry Level Members
701 Cycle and Sport
Action Motor Sports
Advanced Business Methods
AE2S
AID, Inc.
Al Fitterer Architect PC
American Family Insurance- Terry
Kraft
AnyLeaks
Armstrong Sanitation
Bain Agency/Bridgemark Insurance Solutions
Balancing Goat Coffee Co
Barney’s Tesoro/ Red Trail
Basin Electric Power
Baymont Inn & Suites
Bennigan’s
Beyond the Blooms
Big Stick Cigars
BisMan Eats LLC
Bismarck Larks
Bismarck Magazine
BNC Bank Mandan
BNI Coal
Bobcat of Mandan
Bravera Bank
Buffalo Gypsy
Bullinger Tree Service
Burian & Associates
Burning Desires
Butcher Block Meats
Capital Credit Union
Cappuccino on Collins
Captain Jack’s Liquor Land (Coborn’s)
Classic Rock Coffee
Cloverdale Foods
Coal Country Coffee Company
Comfort Inn & Suites
Copper Dog Cafe
Corral Sales RV Superstore
Curvy Flamingo Boutique
Dacotah Mandan Lions
Dacotah Speedway
Dairy Queen
Dakota Caulking
Dakota Community Bank & Trust
Dakota Kustomz, LLC
DaWise Perry and Mandan Cre-
matory
Doll’s Studios
Edward Jones - Rick Kuhn
Edward Jones- Vanessa Martell
Every Eye
Express Yourself Salon
Eyecare Professionals
Family Fare/Spartan Nash
Family Wellness
Farm Credit Services
Farmers Union Insurance- Ressler/ Kuntz Agency
Feil Orthodontics
Fettig Millwork
First Community Credit Union
FOMO 10/40 Creamery
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Gate City Bank
Goodhart & Associates, PC
Grand Junction Subs
Gunscher’s Auto Repair Plus
Gusaas Signs
Harlow’s School Bus Service
Heritage Exteriors
Hirsch Floral & Gifts
Hopfauf Custom Builders.
Huck Financial
Huntington Books
Hyundai of Mandan/ Bismarck Motor Company
Ideal Image Dentistry
iGear
Independent Land Survey and Engineering
Jerome Distributing
Johnson’s Wrecking
Keller Carpentry LLC
Keller Insurance Services.
Kelsch, Ruff, Kranda, Nagle & Ludwig
Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy
KLJ
L&H Branding Irons
Lakewood Marina LLC
Larson’s Tattooing
Legendary Greens
Leingang Chiropractic & Wellness
Leingang Home Center.
Leroy’s MVP Store
Liberty Tax Service
Lillis Electric
Lincoln Repair
Little Caesars Pizza
Lords-n-Ladies
LPT Images
M&H Gas
M&W Beef Packers Inc.
Main Street Drive Thru Liquor
Mandan Aero Center
Mandan Auto Glass
Mandan Eagles
Mandan Lions
Mandan Moose Lodge
Mandan Public School District.
Mandan Regional Airport
Mandan Tire Center
McDonald’s
Metro Area Ambulance
Midway Lanes
MOJO 107.5/Big Rig 105.9
Moritz Sport and Marine
Morton Mandan Public Library.
Musicians Association
NAPA Auto Parts
ND Assoc of Rural Electric Coop.
Newman Signs
Nightlife Entertainment
NISC
North Country Inn
Northern Plains Equipment
Northern Plains Plumbing, Heating & Air
Northern Trophy
Northwest Tire Mandan
Ohms Cafe
Old 10 Bar & Grill
Old Town Tavern/Scapegoat Bar
Pahlke Steel, Inc.
Papa Murphy’s Pizza
Pizza Ranch
Quadrasight Software
Quality Home Furniture
Railway Credit Union
Red Carpet Mandan ARCO
Red Top Recovery
Revive Law Group
Riverwood RV & Auto
RJR Maintenance & Management
Rose James & Company, LLC
Roughrider Harley-Davidson
RuLissa Boutique & More
Rye and Rust
Safe Ship
Schaff Estate & Life Planning Group
Schlosser Excavating
Schwan Buick GMC Cadillac
Scotty’s Drive-In
Security First Agency of North
Dakota
Security First Bank
Send it 24-7/ 701 Cornhole Company
Shop Suzy B
Sign Pro
Signature Events
Silver Dollar Bar
Simes Graphic Designs
Southside MVP
Spiffy Biffs
Starion Bank
State Farm Insurance- Heather
Fried
State Farm Insurance- Rod Skytland
Subaru of Mandan
Sunset MVP
Superpumper #41
The Golden Comb Day Spa & Salon
The Medicine Shoppe
The Paddle Trap
The Skin Boutique & Hair Lounge
The Title Team
Titan Machinery
TP Motel
Tri Energy Cenex
United Printing
Venue Twenty5
Vision Source
Weigel Funeral Home
West Dakota FOX
Zander Body Shop
Individual Level Member
Andrea Travnicek
Andrew Zachmeier
Andrew Stromme
Ann Kirchmeier
Annette Behm-Caldwell
Bernice Hilfer
Del Wetsch
Donna Hartze
Donovan Kruger
Ellen Huber
Gene Veil
James Clement
Karen Breiner
Kari Schmidt
Laurie Leingang
Lee Fleischer
Loah Clement
Matt Schanandore
Mike Hanson
Paulette Bullinger
Rachael Preusse
A NEW ERA FOR MHS
The need for a new Mandan High School has been apparent for many years now. This fall, Mandan High School (MHS) will see close to 1,200 enrolled students. MHS also has 84 teachers, 3 administrators, 1 AD, and 50 classified employees on staff. Needless to say, space at the old Mandan High School has been in short supply. In April of 2021, the community of Mandan voted (an impressive 78% - 60% is needed for a bond issue in ND) to approve an
$84 million-dollar bond issue to build a new high school and an additional elementary school. Lakewood Elementary opened in the fall of 2023, and the new Mandan High School opened this fall. The new MHS provides room for 1,400 students, with room for expansions up to 2,000 students.
The new MHS building features state-of-the-art facilities with an overwhelming number of benefits
for students and staff. Mandan High School has always geared their education towards equipping their students with tools for the next step, whether that is continued education or the workforce. The new high school’s facilities enable the school to continue this mission. “I believe having the new school opens doors for a lot of kids and a lot of opportunities,” explains Mark Andresen, the principal of MHS for 21 years now. One of these opportunities will be the chance
to learn life skills and independent living skills in a special education suite with two full apartments. These skills were already taught at the old high school, but not to the extent they will be now, another benefit of the spacious new high school.
hallways working on projects or in small groups. Now, the new building’s design fosters small groups and individual learning. Mark explains, “We’ve got collaboration rooms. We’ve got common areas that we can pull
One area of the high school that has desperately needed more space for a long time is the band room. Head band director, Jon Baumann, explains that he is excited to have a band room where his musicians can spread out and having practice rooms with space for students to practice individually or in small groups “We didn’t have that really,” Jon explains. “We’d use corners and hallways and cause problems all over the place.
The extensive size of the new high school is no small benefit to everyday operations. In the old high school, students could be found sitting in
together. There’s so much opportunity in this type of a setting and in this building the way it’s been designed.”
We have our own dedicated space where students can go and practice something for five minutes and then come back and collaborate.” The music program at MHS has a new
auditorium. “It’s nice to have more seats,” says Jon. “We have the best auditorium in the state in the old high school without a doubt, but more seating allows more people to be here.” The new auditorium accommodates the school’s drama program better. “This is better suited for a set building area and dressing rooms,” explains Jon. “I think there will be a lot of people eyeing Mandan going, wow, they did it right.”
excited to do the same now, as he and his class lead the way in their new building. “I’m excited about laying the groundwork down to get new traditions started and stay as Mandan, but start new things,” explains Rylen. “This is the chance for a restart. Not a change of who we are, but what we can do with the new space.”
when they first walk in the front door on the first day. [Or] that community member who has never been into the new school, the first day that they come in, walk in the front doors, they look around and it’s like Mandan did it right.”
The students at Mandan High School are also excited for their new school. Rylen Kautzman, a senior at MHS this year who has spent his entire high school career at MHS, has been involved in several extracurriculars like golf, DECA, FBLA, Student Council, and National Honor Society. Rylen loves being involved in extracurriculars because of the friends he’s made along the way, the opportunities they’ve opened up for him, and the difference he feels he’s made for the student body. He’s
Overall, the new Mandan High School has the opportunity to impact the entire community of Mandan. “One of the things I’ve always wanted to do was build a new high school for the community and be a part of that whole process because I know what it can do for the culture of the community and the spirit within the community,” explains Mark. “I can’t wait to see the students and the staff
STORY: MARIA BREZNY PHOTO: NEWAGE CREATIVE
Historical Retrospectives
Mandan Schools Through the decades
1882
First Mandan school opens
1917
The first Mandan High School is built
1924
Second High School Building is built
*The 1924 building becomes the dedicated senior high school building, the 1917 building becomes the junior high school building, and the Central School building serves elementary-aged students*
1900
Central School is built for grades 1-12
1922
Syndicate School Opens
1958
A new Mandan High School is built
1934
Mandan High School relocates to new building
1954
Elementary addition to High School
1958
The Mandan Middle School moves into the old Mandan High School
1959
Custer Elementary, Lewis & Clark Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary are built
1970
1960
Syndicate School is renamed Mary Stark Elementary after the death of a long time, beloved teacher
1966
Central School building is torn down, the other two buildings remain
2008
New Mandan Middle School opens
1994
Fort Lincoln Elementary is built
Mary Stark Elementary is torn down and rebuilt
2014
Red Trail Elementary Opens
2020 2024
Mandan Virtual Academy Opens
2012
New Mandan High School opens
2023
Lakewood Elementary Opens Brave Center Academy Opens
Making of a new High School
The new Mandan High School is roughly 330,000 square feet, nearly double the size of the old high school. It has a larger parking capacity, a new CTE center, a larger auditorium seating over 800, an additional gym, and has the most up-todate ventilation system available. Designing and building such a large and elaborate high school took careful planning and diligent building. Contractors like Northwest Contracting and ICON Architectural Group meticulously created a beautiful high school that supports the
Ryan Lagasee, Mandan Public Schools
Lee Pierce, ICON
Tom Todd, Northwest Contracting
needs students and staff now and into the future.
The previous Mandan High School was built in 1957. The building underwent various remodels and additions throughout those years, with the most recent addition being the auditorium in 1988. Much has changed since the building was constructed 67 years ago. Not only has the student body grown exponentially, but also the way teachers educate their students has drastically changed. The growing
student population and the need for a more functional modern space, paired with a need for repairs, began the process that resulted in a new high school.
A floor failure near a structural wall in the old high school was the catalyst for a larger evaluation of the entire building. Ryan Lagasse, business manager for the Mandan schools reached out to Lee Pierce, at ICON Architectural Group, to get a full facility assessment. After evaluating the building and talking to staff, ICON
came back with three different financial estimates: one for an addition, one for renovations, and one for a new build. The Mandan school board took this information, got public opinion, and in 2021, the community voted to approve an $84 million-dollar bond issue to build a new high school.
Once the new school was officially approved, ICON Architects got to work designing a new school. Lee and her team interviewed an assortment of staff and students to begin formulating ideas for the school’s layout, making sure they were designing a school for the people using it. “At the end of the day, I get in my car and drive home. Those are the folks that are coming here day in and day out… so, I need to really listen to what they’re saying,” says Lee. The design team also had a diverse range of consultants on it, including a theater consultant, acoustician consultant, food service consultant, electrical, structural, and mechanical engineers, and a landscape designer. Each consultant’s expertise helped ICON make sure even the smallest details were perfect.
While Lee and her team worked on designing the new high school, Tom Todd, owner of Northwest Contracting, and his team began preparing the site for construction. The new high school is located west of the refinery, east of Walmart, and north of the new Subaru dealership along the interstate. “This project is unique for its size, the magnitude, and the complexity. It’s also on the side of a hill,” describes
Tom. Northwest Contracting started dirt work in the fall of 2021, trying to get as much done before snowfall. They finished up dirt work in the spring of 2022, and the foundations were poured in July. “The school has multiple levels,” describes Tom. “There are some big foundations that are holding back the earth to make the levels.”
Even though Tom and his team at Northwest Contracting have experience building large high schools, like Legacy High School and the new St. Mary’s Central High School, the Mandan High School
is their largest project. “This school is bigger than any one we’ve built in Bismarck… This is honestly the biggest dollar amount of a project that Bismarck/Mandan has ever seen,” says Tom. Due to its size, the project required a large number of resources, but it was built for longevity. “We are going to educate multi-generations of students here,” explains Ryan. “We need to do it right.”
There were lots of challenges with building the new high school, beyond dealing with the scale of the school. The heavy amount of rainfall over the past two years would turn the
construction site into clay. The site also had a water tower that needed to be dug out and displaced. Throughout the project, they also dealt with supply chain issues, labor shortages, and inflation. However, despite all these problems, the high school remained mostly on schedule and still opened after only a little over two years of construction. “I want to say how important it is that we worked with local contractors, with Northwest, Central Mechanical, Denny’s, ICON,” expresses Ryan. “Their employees work here, live here, and you can see a sense of pride from everybody that comes to the site every day. If we had
not gone local, we would have had some real serious issues.”
Everyone who worked on the project was excited to help give Mandan something it’s needed for a long time.“The architect created a beautiful high school for these guys and just being able to be a part of that is super fun,” says Tom. Ryan expresses how excited he is for students to have full-sized modern classrooms. “They get a true modern learning experience,” says Ryan. “I think that’s pretty special.” Lee describes the excitement she felt from students, staff, and admin while designing the new school. “I feel very honored
to have sat in all those individual meetings, to hear the excitement from staff and the admin, saying this will be so great for our students,” says Lee.
“I’m excited to see how the students use all of our little niches, whether it’s just to hang out or if they’re working on group projects.” Everyone who
worked on the new high school is passionate about creating a beautiful space functional for education, and their passion shines in the finished Mandan High School, a hopeful image of Mandan’s future.
STORY: MARIA BREZNY
PHOTO: NEWAGE CREATIVE
John Gieser
MHS Visual Arts Instructor
Who? John Gieser
What? Mandan High School Visual Arts Instructor
What is meant by visual arts?
“We’re all over the place in terms of visual arts, whether it’s digital or traditional methods of drawing, painting, printmaking. We have a new ceramics lab in the new MHS, so we do pottery, large-scale sculptures. It’s a lot of contemporary art forms as well as the traditional ones.”
How long have you taught at Mandan? “I just finished my tenth
year, so I’m going on year eleven.”
Where did you graduate high school? “Mandan, I graduated in 1998.”
What do you love about visual arts? “Freedom. I’ve always been the kind of guy that always got yelled at for writing on things and drawing on things and dozing off and making things during class. It gives the kids a mode of expression that they don’t perhaps get anywhere else… I ask them to be them, and I’ll be me, and we’ll meet in the middle.
What are you excited about in
the new high school? “Updated facilities. Having more space… We’ve needed this facelift for our community for a very long time. It gives the kids an opportunity to be excited about where they go for school.”
What was your favorite course in high school? “Art. Diane Boschee was the art teacher here for 20-30 years. She was the person who really pushed me in that direction, one of the very few people to push me to get out of here and see the world. She was quite influential.”
Who? Claudia Schoellkopf
What? Mandan High School PE and Health Teacher
What are you most excited for about the new high school? “Having everyone in one building. Not only are we able to house Mandan High School, but we also have the Brave Center Academy and our Next Step Program, so the faculty can actually work together better than where we were at.”
How long have you been teaching? “I started teaching in 2006, and I transferred from Bismarck to Mandan
during COVID, so in 2020.”
What did you graduate high school? “I graduated from Mandan in 1995.”
What's it like to teach at the place you went to school? “It’s fun to teach with teachers I had when I went there. There are still teachers that I had when I was a senior that are still teaching.”
Are you a hot lunch or cold lunch fan? “I bring my cold lunch… but I’m excited because I have two nephews in the school system, and they both have their favorite lunches, so I’m
kind of excited to try those.”
What do you enjoy about teaching PE? “I really enjoy getting the kids to understand the correlation between all the different components of your life and your overall health… We’re starting a new course that’s called the health and fitness class. It’s going to give us the opportunity to explain that it’s not just physical fitness. It’s also your diet and your mental health and your emotional health, and it all packages together.”
Claudia Schoellkopf
TEACHER
Daphne Davis
Mandan Middle School Math Interventionist
Who? Daphne Davis
What? Mandan Middle School Math Interventionist
What is a math interventionist? “I teach actual math classes for kids who need intervention.”
Why do you teach math intervention? “My background is actually special education, and then I moved into math from there.
I like math better than ELA classes because it’s a little more black and white.”
How long have you been teaching at Mandan Middle School? “I’ve been at the middle school here for 21 years, 25 years total teaching.”
Where did you graduate High School? “Mandan High, I graduated in 1994.”
What do you enjoy about teaching at Mandan? “I think Mandan has the same beliefs as the school district here, and I like that.”
What was your favorite subject in school? “I enjoyed math more than anything else.”
What's your favorite hot lunch? “Probably the totchos, it’s nachos with tater tots instead of chips.”
Who? Mark Zinke
What? Roosevelt Elementary PE Teacher
What do you love about teaching?
“I think the best part is the relationships I’ve built. Some of these kids don’t have father figures at home, and when they come here, I
try to be that for them.”
Why did you start teaching?
“Honestly, originally, I wanted to be a coach, and the only way to coach then was to be a teacher. So, I got into teaching, and now, I don’t even coach anymore. But I’m still teaching. I stopped coaching because I have two little kids and a
side business, so it got to be a lot.”
Are you a Mandan High graduate?
“Yes, I graduated in 2011.”
What's your favorite hot lunch?
“Chicken patty day was the best day.”
Roosevelt Elementary PE Teacher
Mark Zinke
Lauren Lingen
Red Trail Elementary Kindergarten Teacher
Who? Lauren Lingen
What? Kindergarten Teacher at Red Trail Elementary
Are you a Mandan High grad? “Yes, class of ’99.”
How long have you been teaching?
“This is going to be my 22nd year teaching.
What do you enjoy about teaching kindergarten? “I love kindergarten. I love teaching them how to read. I love seeing that spark when something connects finally for them, and they’re able to put sounds together to make words and words
together to make sentences and when they’re able to read a book. It’s just intrinsic in kids that once they get it, it’s like the whole world lights up for them… and nothing is ever going to be the same.”
Why did you become a teacher?
“As cliché as it sounds, to make a difference. I loved my teachers growing up in Mandan. I was a Roosevelt Roughrider in elementary school. I went to middle school at the old junior high and the old high school. My teachers made such an impact in my life, and I wanted to give back and do the same thing
for them. Teaching has changed dramatically in the past 22 years, especially since I was a student, but I love being there. Sometimes students need a stable figure, and I’m happy to be that stable figure for them.”
Do you eat hot lunch or cold lunch? “Cold lunch. I bring my own lunch every day. I used to get hot lunch when they had the chili and cinnamon rolls still because that was nostalgic.”
Who?
Lacey Roberts
What? Music Teacher at Red Trail Elementary
How long have you been teaching here? “I started here at Red Trail when the school opened, and this will be our 11th year out here.”
Why do you teach music? “It’s something I have always been drawn to, and as I continued through elementary school and middle school and high school, that’s just somewhere I have always wanted to be. I continued with music in college, but I wasn’t sure if teaching
was exactly somewhere I wanted to be. I tried a couple of education classes and said, yep, this is what I’m supposed to do.”
What do you love about teaching music? “I just love that I get to come here and share what I love with the kids and hopefully they take a little piece of that with them when they leave.”
Where did you graduate High School? “I graduated from MHS in 2000.”
Are you a hot lunch or cold lunch teacher? “I bring my own lunch every day. But I do love the days when I walk in and know that it’s spaghetti and garlic bread because I like garlic bread, so I like the smell when I come in.”
What instruments do you play?
“My main instruments are piano and clarinet. I have studied a lot in courses that I’ve taken since graduating on recorder and ukelele, and all of our percussion instruments that we use in the general music classroom.”
Lacey Roberts
Red Trail Elementary Music Teacher
We are delighted to support Mandan Public Schools in their pursuit of excellence in education. The new Career & Technical Education center will serve as a hub for learning, innovation, and engagement, and we are proud to be a part of this exciting endeavor.
Mandan Re nery
Future Visions
What’s Next for Mandan Public Schools?
As the superintendent of the Mandan public schools, Mike Bitz oversees the entire school district, which encompasses seven elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, one alternative high school, two virtual schools, and between 700800 employees. As superintendent, Mike’s job is to look into the future and plan for the continual growth of the entire school system, leading him to support the building of a new high
Mike Bitz, Superintendent Mandan Public Schools
school. “I came here in December of 2010,” Mike explains, “and people were saying we need to do something with our high school. It was a long process, and we finally got to the point where we had to put some money into our old building or build a new one.” After the public vote in April of 2021 to build a new high school, the planning for a new high school began in earnest.
Mike is grateful to the Mandan community for their excitement and endorsement of the new high school.
“Our community has supported us greatly,” he says. He wants the new high school to repay the community’s support. “My hope is that when people see the Mandan High School, they say I would like to go to school there. I hope it’s something our community can be proud of.”
Looking ahead at the future, Mike hopes the entire community, not just the school system, will benefit from the construction of a new high school:
“When I interviewed here in 2010, they asked why I wanted to come to Mandan, and I said I viewed Mandan now as I did similar to West Fargo in the 1970s. In the 1970s, West Fargo was a community that you bought a house in until you could afford a house in Fargo. West Fargo’s leaders made some great decisions, and now, if I was moving to the Fargo/West Fargo area, and I was looking for a house, it wouldn’t matter if it was in Fargo or West Fargo because they’re
Mandan Public Schools Board Members
Mr. Sheldon Wolf, President
Mr. Rick Horn
Mrs. Amy Shanandore
Mrs. Marnie Piehl
Mrs. Kama Hoovestol
Mr. Darren Haugen
Ms. Lori Furaus
Mr. Tom Peters
Mr. Jake Schmidt
peers… I look at some of the things that have happened in our community over the last 10-15 years, and I think Mandan is making some real steps to make it an attractive place to live. I look at the Tennis Center, the Starion Sports Complex, the Universal Playground, Raging Rivers, the baseball complex, and we’re going to have three turf fields next year. Since 2005, they’ve built a middle school, two elementary schools, and a high school. Mandan has invested in itself, and as people move to the area, my hope is that they say, Mandan is a good spot. It’s a great place to live. They have amenities for our family, they have great schools for our kids.”
With the new high school, Mike also hopes it continues to foster what is great about Mandan. “Mandan is a larger community with a lot of amenities, but it has a small town feel,” describes Mikes. “We have one high school. Everyone cheers for the Braves… I think there’s a lot of unity that way. We’re all a part of the same team.” Team Mandan has already accomplished some incredible things in recent years. It will be exciting to continue watching what team Mandan does into the future.
STORY: MARIA BREZNY
PHOTO: NEWAGE CREATIVE
Mandan Public SchoolS Foundation
Lee Fleischer, MPS Foundation for Education Board President
The Mandan Public Schools Foundation for Education is a 501c3 organization consisting of a board of directors who work to raise money for different education needs. The Mandan Public Schools Foundation started with a suggestion from Lee Fleischer, during his term on the Mandan School board. The board then appointed a committee with Lee as the head to further discuss starting an education foundation. After a few meetings, the committee decided to start a Mandan Public Schools Foundation for Education, and in March of 2010, the Foundation was officially incorporated. In July of 2010, the Foundation received its 501c3 status.
The Mandan Public Schools Foundation disburses money to students and teachers in three different areas. The first is scholarships for Mandan High graduates. “This year we did 75 scholarships at a value of $107,500,” explains Lee Fleischer, now president of the Mandan Public Schools Foundation for Education. “It’s thanks to the community, both businesses and individuals.” They offer a wide variety of scholarships at different amounts. The largest scholarship is the Larson scholarship for $10,000, payable over the four years, which goes to a graduating senior going into instrumental music.
The second area the Mandan
Public Schools Foundation helps with are MPS student and staff grants to provide opportunities for professional development and student educational projects. The third area is helping to finance student needs, like food, school supplies, and project expenses. These two areas help support students currently in the school system, supporting them as they learn all the way from kindergarten through their senior year of high school.
If you are interested in learning more, please visit mandanschoolsfoundation.org
STORY: MARIA BREZNY
PHOTO: NEWAGE CREATIVE
In 2021-2022, the Foundation gave over $30,000 to teachers
The Foundation has awarded over $480K in scholarships The Foundation has awarded scholarships to nearly 300 MHS seniors
In 2021-2022, the Foundation disbursed money to nearly 200 teachers In 2021-2022, the Foundation gave over $5,000 to student needs
Building School SPirit
Why are sports and extracurriculars important for students?
“It’s good for kids physically and mentally. It gives them the chance to step out on the football field for a couple hours, practice, and forget about everything. But no matter the activity, it helps teach kids that responsibility of being committed to something, of being organized, of time management; all those things that later on in life become so critical.”
-Mark Wiest, athletic director of Mandan High School
“In the 21st century, to say that soft skills, especially speaking, are dissipating because of phones is a huge understatement. Speech is an activity that allows students to gain the communication skills, confidence of speaking, and resilience we take for granted with public speaking.”
-Loren Nieuwsma, speech coach
“In FBLA, students get the opportunity to work with community members. The other thing that’s important with FBLA is that we do a lot of service projects. We’re serving in our community, doing volunteer stuff, putting together our own community service projects, and it allows them to gain some confidence in communication skills and organizational skills.”
-Kelsey Brown, FBLA advisor
“I used to be very introverted, stick to myself, but then I joined DECA, made a bunch of new friends, had this chance to participate, and it really helped me build my personality, learn a lot about business, make some great connections, and get some great opportunities I would never have had.”
–Braden Ficklin, MHS senior
“Our Four Directions group is a group based on Native American history and culture. We teach about Native American historical events, all sides of it, not just one side which is mostly how we learn it in our schools. We teach about Native American ceremonies, the Lakota value system. We do a lot of community engagement… We create awareness for the kids, and we want them to know not just one side of things, but all sides of things.”
-Travis Albers, Four Directions Club advisor
What advice do you have for students interested in your extracurricular, but who are nervous to try it?
“Just give it a shot, just try something. You’re going to have a lot of time in your life to work and do all those things. This is your one shot. There’s no redos for high school. So, go out and find something you like to do and have fun doing it.”
-Mark Wiest, athletic director of Mandan High School
“It's an opportunity for you to travel. It allows you to volunteer and help out the community. It works well around schedules, whether you have a job or are a part of sports. We allow students to practice for their presentations, practice for their tests during class. As long as you’re taking a business course, you can be a part of FBLA.”
-Kelsey Brown, FBLA advisor
“My advice is for students to talk to other students. Best way to find out what DECA is and what they do is to talk to other students who are actually involved in it.”
-Don Fry, DECA advisor
“The groups meet once a week, and it’s for any background of people. Most of the kids we get there are not Native kids, and they’re learning about the stories we tell.”
-Travis Albers, Four Directions Club advisor
