With referendum canvassing completed Nov. 7, the Prior Lake-Savage Area School district will move to implement the voter-approved projects.

“It’s been a long four months,” Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver said of her initial time in the district with the referendum looming.

With the renewal of the $7 million levy and $1.65 million in additional funds, the district’s sights are set on adding about 10 more teachers to open Redtail Ridge Elementary in Savage in fall 2009. It will also reopen the Twin Oaks Middle School pool next fall.

“Now, I really feel like I know the community,” Gruver said of giving more than 30 referendum presentations to area groups. “This levy will be in place for 10 years. We won’t have to go back for operational levies of this sort.”

Just this week, Gruver said administrators began drafting a preliminary plan to achieve the referendum goals of opening the school and pool. They plan to return to the board in January with staffing needs and could request a board decision as soon as February to begin the hiring process.

“We have a very exciting spring ahead of us,” Gruver said.