DECORAH, Iowa — August 21, 2026 — The Decorah Community School District is pleased to announce that Emergent Architecture has received approval from the Iowa State Fire Marshal for the District’s new elementary school construction project.

The State Fire Marshal’s approval has been submitted to Decorah City Manager Travis Goedken, who will now issue the construction permit for the project. Receiving the approval allows construction to continue as planned and keeps the project moving forward without anticipated delays to the construction schedule.

“We are very pleased to have received the State Fire Marshal’s approval and appreciate the work of everyone involved in getting us to this point,” said Superintendent Tim Cronin. “This has been an important step in the process, and receiving the approval allows us to continue moving forward with confidence and keep the project on schedule.”

Over the past several weeks, Emergent Architecture and the project team have worked directly with the State Fire Marshal’s office to address questions identified during the review process. The District appreciates the work of Emergent Architecture in working through the review process with the State Fire Marshal.

The District is happy with the work of Miron Construction, the District’s Construction Manager at Risk, in managing the project and coordinating construction activities throughout the approval process. Miron’s planning and efficient management of the construction schedule have helped keep the project moving forward and on its established timeline.

The District also extends its appreciation to the City of Decorah for its flexibility, cooperation, and support while the District awaited final State Fire Marshal approval. The City worked collaboratively with the District and project team to identify ways for appropriate construction activities to continue during the review process. In addition, Cresco Building Supply provided a third-party review of plans and recommended that construction could continue. Throughout this process,  the City maintained the requirement that final State Fire Marshal approval be received before issuance of the construction permit.

“We greatly appreciate the City’s partnership,” Cronin said. “The City understood both the importance of following the required approval process and the significant scheduling and financial consequences that could result from unnecessarily stopping a major construction project. Their willingness to work collaboratively with the District helped us navigate the process while keeping the project moving.”

With State Fire Marshal approval now received and the construction permit moving forward, the District looks forward to continuing construction and maintaining the project’s planned schedule.

The new elementary school remains scheduled to open for students in fall 2027.