MONTICELLO — The grade school and gym addition to the Monticello School building was started in summer of 1952 and completed the fall of 1953.

The new addition designed by architects at “Lawrence Monberg & Associates, Kenosha, Wisconsin, will provide space for five graded rooms, a gymnasium with a capacity of 980 seats and stage and an agricultural shop. One of the many improvements which will be made with the increased space will be the establishment of a home room for the seventh and eighth grade pupils. These two grades have been crowded into the high school assembly room for the past several years.” (Excerpt from the Monticello Messenger May 8, 1952) 

“Accepted as general contractor is the Valley Construction Company, Neenah, on a low bid of $109,000, plus an additional $950 for furnishing Thermopane windows…Other bids already accepted by signed contract or tentatively agreed upon are…electrical supplies and installation…heating and ventilation…new furnace to replace the old heating plant in the high school building…plumbing…steel supplies…and steel roofing and installation…The total cost of the above bids including replacing the furnace in the present building with a new oil burning boiler amounts to $217,652.00.” (Excerpt from Monticello Messenger June 12, 1952)

Before 1953, basketball games and dances were held at Karlen Hall; class plays were performed at the Grand Central Hotel and graduations were held at Zwingli Evangelical and Reformed Church.