The Fargo School Board is expected to approve the purchase of 60 acres on Tuesday.
The purchase would make the land at the southeast corner of 25th Street and 70th Avenue South another option for the district's next high school.
"It gives us some flexibility," said Dan Huffman, assistant superintendent of business services.
Until now, the board has explored placing the next high school near 52nd Avenue South and Interstate 29, on 71 acres the district has owned since the late 1990s. The high school is slated to open in 2012.
The board may decide where to build the high school as early as July, said Jim Johnson, board president. Board members will discuss the topic at their annual retreat June 21.
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"I think there's a lot of public interest in where it will go," he said.
Land that isn't chosen for the high school will still be needed for a future elementary school, Johnson said.
If the district offers all-day kindergarten in all buildings on the south side, it will need a new elementary school for space.
The district typically tries to buy land five to 10 years before it is needed.
"We're just trying to get in front of the growth pattern," Johnson said.
The district will buy the land near 70th Avenue for $20,000 per acre, or $1.2 million. Board members will decide Tuesday whether to pay cash or finance the property, Huffman said.
The land is now being farmed.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Erin Hemme Froslie at (701) 241-5534
