MONROE — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers joined hundreds of Monroe High School students for the first full day of classes this past week at the new facility, located on the city’s far east side. Originally passed by voters in 2022, construction of the nearly $100 million facility was completed just a few months ago.

“What a beautiful place — I don’t know if I’ve seen a nicer one. A lot of good things happening here,” Evers said. He was guided on a tour of the school by District Superintendent Joe Monroe, MHS Principal Jeriamy Jackson, school board president Jim Curran and Business Administrator Ron Olson. The group was joined by State Assembly District 50 Representative Jenna Jacobson.

The group stopped in the metals room and talked to Dan Saunders, who in his 34th year teaching in the district. Saunders described his working relations with area businesses, which have helped immensely in supplying the school with equipment and resources to train students for careers like welding. In fact, several of Saunders’ former students are now at businesses that he directly works with.

The metals facility nearly tripled in size from the prior school, which had been open for more than 70 years. The added space — plus ventilation and air conditioning among the other perks — allows for 15 individual work stations compared to the old school’s five.

“There was a lot of kids standing around at times waiting for their turn,” he said.

The new facility is lauded as equivalent to that of a technical college, which will allow MHS students a better opportunity to jump directly into the workforce in some trades.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in a high school,” Evers said of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilities. “The interaction between the community and the schools (and) this building is extraordinary. The ability to bring what the kids here are learning, especially in the tech ed areas — all areas, really — it pushes the envelope so that kids are going to be ready to either go to tech college or go directly into the workforce, and I think that’s important for this part of the state.”

Evers then joined Jan Douglas’ LAUNCH group, and participated in a team-building exercise that taught students the importance of learning about their business partners in order to make a stronger connection.

Evers later joined a math class taught by Sam Mathiason. The longtime educator and former state superintendent even filled out his own worksheet alongside students.

Evers capped his trip by meeting with kitchen staff, which was finishing up lunch preparations. He thanked the staff for their endless efforts day in and day out to feed the school of about 680 students.

“Interacting with the kids and the people that are running the joint — everybody’s pleased,” Evers said.

Students at Monroe’s elementary schools, plus sixth grade at the middle school and ninth grade at the high school opened classes on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The rest of the district — grades 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 — started the following day.

New traffic patterns on the east side caused headaches for some drivers. The drop-off line at Northside Elementary had nothing noteworthy, but parents dropping children off on 30th and 31st Avenues were bogged down by increased congestion, much of which came from drivers trying to get into the new high school at the intersection of 10th Street and 31st Avenue. It wasn’t aided by the construction of a roundabout down the street at 13th Street and 31st Avenue, which forces most north-bound traffic to use 30th Avenue.

Principal Jackson sent an email and shared a video message to students and parents, reminding them of the predetermined traffic patterns. Essentially, main traffic into the high school should enter through Cheesemaker Drive on the north side of the school off of 6th Street and 32nd Avenue. While the 31st Avenue entrance is open for drop-off at the high school before school, the Cheesemaker Drive entrance is still preferred. Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day, the 31st Avenue entrance is closed for regular traffic to allow school buses and delivery trucks ample opportunity to get in and get out without congestion.

“We’ll work through it. We’ll monitor it and we’ll make adjustments as needed,” Jackson said. “Today, understandably, was the first day of school for everybody. We had people giving hugs and kisses. We had first day pictures. So that stopped (the flowing traffic) a little bit. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little bit better.”

After school pick up will be different as well. Instead of parents lining up in the street, there is ample parking spaces in the lot northwest of the building’s entrance — 176 parking spaces, to be exact.

“There’s plenty of room for your student to come out and get in your car,” Jackson said.

Those picking up students are asked to use Cheesemaker Drive exclusively for entry into the campus and then exit, so as to not clog up bus traffic exiting onto 31st Avenue.

By Thursday morning, congestion at 31st Avenue was noticeably less.

The traffic pattern surrounding the roundabout entrance is changing soon as well, noted City of Monroe Engineer Al Gerber.

“All of the underground work along the east portion of the project in Stage 1 and 2 have been completed. Landscaping in the first and second stage is also anticipated to be completed next week,” Gerber said.

Rock Road is anticipating switching over to Stage 3 and 4 of the project the week of Sept. 14.

“This will open the area to traffic from County KK to 31st Avenue, while access to 13th Street and County K will be closed. Traffic will be able to get up to the intersection from 13th Street and County K to access the businesses along 13th Street and County K, but they will not be able to go through the intersection,” Gerber added.