McKenzie County Farmer - Latest News

M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer

In a unanimous show of support for the Horse Creek School in Cartwright, the McKenzie County Board of Commissioners has pledged to help fund the construction of a much-needed multipurpose building, even as bid prices soared beyond initial estimates. “This is a good project that we as the county should support,” stated Commissioner Joel Brown, reflecting the board’s commitment to ensuring students in the remote region have access to adequate facilities.

Superintendent Nikki Johnsrud presented the updated funding request to the commissioners on March 18th, 2025, revealing that bids for the project had come in significantly higher than anticipated. “What we suspected was going to be a little bit over $1 million,” Johnsrud explained, “They came back, and the lowest base bid was $1.3.” The unexpected increase, attributed to rising material costs and tariffs, prompted the school to seek additional county assistance.

“We have 30 days that the bids are good for. So the board is trying to decide whether or not we wait or if we go ahead with it,” Johnsrud told the commissioners. The school, which relies heavily on both community support and county funds, was seeking approximately $400,000 to $500,000 to bridge the funding gap.

Despite the financial hurdle, the commissioners recognized the critical need for the multipurpose building, which will serve as a gymnasium and additional classroom space for the school’s students, some of whom travel long distances. Johnsrud gave examples of why the building was critical to the proper education of the students. “Our kids have never had a gym,” Johnsrud emphasized, “They’ve always had to do P.E. outside, and that’s hard now, especially when all of the standards are expected, regardless if you’re doing them outside or inside.” Johnsrud also spoke about the hope for using the building as a community gathering place for important events such as Christmas programs.

The commissioners expressed a willingness to move forward quickly, recognizing the urgency of the project and the potential for further delays if the bids were to expire. “If we hold off, you’ll lose your 30 days, then you’ve got to re-bid, and that’s another nightmare,” one commissioner stated. “We could have moved to approve or support it and then figure out where we can get them.”
In light of the bid expiration dates and the concern about even higher bids in the future, the commission board unanimously agreed to support the project, committing to finding a funding mechanism within two weeks. The decision was met with gratitude from Johnsrud and the Horse Creek community. “I know that all of our community says thank you to you for supporting our school and our community,” Johnsrud expressed, “It really is going to be a place where community members can stop in to [give and receive] support. So thank you so much for helping us out with this.”

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