AMHERST, Wis. (WAOW) — Students, faculty, and community members in Amherst are buzzing over the groundbreaking of the new STEAM facility.
The school received a massive donation of $500,000 to get the facility project rolling.
"Thank you Herb. Our legendary, 110-year-old friend and neighbor for your $500,000 gift," said Gregg Gutschow, director of marketing and communications for the Tomorrow River School District.
The family of Herb Wolding say they're giving back to the community that gave so much to them.
"A school is kind of a sense of community pride, and I think it reflects the pride that the community has in its education," said Marc Wolding, Herb's grandson.
Herb Wolding has donated nearly $1 million in total to the school over the years.
"He's our hero. He's one of a kind," Marc Wolding said. "A lot of it is attributed to the people and the community of Amherst."
And now the project is underway. The $25 million building will be a cutting-edge tech center for students covering science, tech ed, art, agriculture, and math.
"It was something that was desperately needed here and it's exciting to be able to be a part of this project," said Mike Richie, district administrator.
Richie thanks the support of the community for backing the project and giving it the green light.
Now that the project is a go, faculty as well as students are excited for the facility to rise and for the future of the school.
"Our students will be so fortunate to be able to have not only this facility, but they're going to have equipment that no other school districts have," said Richie. "The sky is the limit on where they want to go from here."
The new facility is slated to open in August of 2024, and many community members couldn't be more excited for their future.
