Ask Mr. Answer Person: "Can the Army Reserve Center in Decorah be turned into an elementary school?"

(The search continues for a location for a new elementary school in Decorah.  Chad e-mails: "why not build a school on army reserve property?" while Dale asks: "I just read where Water Street Flats will not be built. Why not put the elementary school there?" and Bob asks, "Anything new on the Luther prairie property?")

Mr. Answer Person says: "At this point, we're no closer to finding a solution to the need for a new elementary school in Decorah.

The property on which the Army Reserve Center sits is only five acres--too small to fill the space needs of the Decorah School District.  Besides, the Army Reserve will hold onto the property for at least a year after the current Reserve unit moves to Las Vegas--that's a rule covering any Army Reserve property.

The property where the Water Street Flats was going to be built is even smaller, so that wouldn't work, either.

That leaves us with the Anderson Prairie property being discussed by Luther College officials.  But the Land Use Committee, which has been tasked with coming up with a recommendation on whether the school ought to lease the land to the Decorah School District, wasn't able to reach a decision last month because of a number of members who were off-campus.  That means any recommendation from the group for the Luther Board of Regents to discuss is probably another month or two away.

So when it comes to a new Decorah elementary school, at this point no news is---no news!"