A once-shuttered school in Marine On St. Croix works to reopen to students

The Marine Village School is back by popular demand. The once-shuttered Stillwater Area Public School building is reopening as a state charter school. 

It closed back in 2017 when the district reorganized. Since then, students from the area have been bused to other districts. But now the Village of Marine On St. Croix bought the vacated building and acquired a charter to reopen it as an elementary school for K-4^th grade students. 

They needed 30 students to open, and spent all summer recruiting them.

“We are literally starting over. We’ve done everything from knock on doors to attending every festival,” said principal Dr. Kim Kokx.

“We are just the ‘Little Engine That Could.’ One student at a time, one family at a time.  We will make it to Sept. 6,” she said.

There are currently 32 students enrolled, and the building has capacity for 150. Enrollment will continue throughout the fall.