DNT Building Purchased by Duluth Public Schools

"We really think it's a multi-phases process. We've given it a lot of thought. We think it's going to be a great fir for the district and a great fit for the City of Duluth," said Duluth Public Schools Superintendent John Magas.

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Public Schools just made a $600,000 purchase that’s aimed to centralize the community and Duluth area schools. 

Duluth Public Schools just purchased the Duluth News Tribune building in downtown Duluth. Duluth Public Schools Superintendent John Magas says that they’re excited for the new space as it allows them to sell previous buildings that are currently used for storage, office spaces, learning centers. Duluth Public Schools purchased the 64,000 square foot building for $600,000. 

“So it’s going to be an incredible opportunity for us to invest in downtown, have our footprint here and actually be able to have people have access to our schools at a location that’s close,” said Magas.

Duluth Public Schools plans on using the space for storage, office space, and as a potential future home for the Duluth Public Schools Area Online Learning Center, Duluth Adult Education, and Academic Excellence Online school. But with a downtown location they’re most excited to be centralized as a welcome center to families and the community.

“So a lot of districts of our size have what’s called a welcome center,” said Magas. “What a welcome center does is allow parents to come in, it’s a convenient location to come and make sure you’re register for classes, make sure that you have your enrollment all taken care of, that the free and reduced lunch forms are taken care of, having a one stop shop for all of those services.” 

The previous tax increase from the referendum that the Duluth Public Schools voted on in July will adjust from this new acquisition if voted by the community in November. A family with a home worth roughly $200,000 would  be paying roughly $83 per year as an investment into youth education, instead of the initial $93 as proposed by the referendum. 

We’ve reached out to the Duluth News Tribune, they have not commented on Duluth Public School’s purchase.