March 4, 1909 Grades 11 and 12 = 6, W. W. Ballard, principal and teacher. Grades 9 and 10 = 27, E. A. Biesnecker, assistant principal and teacher. Grammar/grades 6, 7, 8 = 50, Emma Grove. Intermediate/ grades 3, 4, 5 = 29, Miss Brooke. Primary/grades 1 and 2 = 27, Miss Lena Burney. Total 139. (Insert 2003: Notice grade numbers are now used with the grade names.)
March 15, 1909 School board meeting. J. H. Eastman building bond was presented and read. Moved by S. S. Denning and second by S. S. Hanson that board accept the bond, motion carried. The report of annual meeting of election of Collins School District was presented, the report showed 69 ballots cast, 8 rejected. J. F. Lingenfelter received 58 votes and Henry Denniston 57, both duly elected for 3-year terms. J. F. Lingenfelter re-elected president.
The proposition to sell the old school house and the land received 40 votes and the proposition to sell the old schoolhouse and retain the land for public park received 24 votes. The confirmed official satisfaction of majority vote is to sell old school house and land and apply proceeds to the new school.
March 28, 1909 The surveyor came Friday and laid out the ground for the building. Excavating and hauling are in progress. Eight men and four teams are at work. The excavating started Monday morning and the work is rushing. Two cars of brick have arrived from Boone for the foundation. A car of cement has arrived from Mankato, Minn.
April 1, 1909 The excavation of the cellar was finished Monday. The excavated space will be the gymnasium. Workmen are putting in the concrete footing for the walls. If the weather is good they will start laying brick Monday. A ditch is being dug and laying of pipe has begun to carry city water to the school grounds. The following materials have arrived on the ground the past week; two cars of brick, a car of structural iron and a car of lumber. A car of gravel came from Maxwell today.
April 8, 1909 The brick work started yesterday with a force of four bricklayers.
April 15, 1909 Teachers meeting at Maxwell attended by six Collins teachers: Principal Ballard, Mrs. Biesnecker, Miss Grove, Miss Brooke, Clara Shearer, Cresey Downing.
April 22, 1909 School building. Cut stone, pressed brick and joists are on the ground. Foundation is complete. A carload of window frames arrived. Building materials is now all on the ground but the work has been delayed by wet weather.
April 28, 1909 The work has made good progress the past week. Pressed brick up over one-half of the first story. Mr. Conway of Belle Plane, another bricklayer has been added to the working staff. Stone sills and window frames on the first story are all up.
April 29, 1909 – School caucus and election – to nominate candidates for the school board.
May 6, 1909 Work on the school building is making substantial progress this week. Brick work is up to the end of the first story and they are putting in the joists of the second floor.