 Well, for years, the Old Deer Lake Elementary School in the Bemidji School District has sat empty, but the bell may sound again at the old school. Josh Peterson shows us how a local charter school is looking to possibly revive the old building. The last time the Deer Lake Elementary School bell rang was in the spring of 2001, and ever since the school building has set empty, tucked away in the Northwoods. But this quiet scene could soon be replaced with the sound of children once again. You know, one of the big appealing factors of that campus is the 25 acres of forest that's out there. You know, we think that's going to be a really ideal environment for particularly younger kids. Trek North originally was planning on building its K-5 school on the same grounds as the junior and senior high school. However, those plans fell through, leading Trek North to the old Deer Lake School building. Last year, three sons' research moved into the facility and stepped forward to help Trek North. With a school building that is set in the heart of the Northwoods, Trek North sees it as a perfect fit. The woods will offer a major advantage, I think, for growing our OAP program down into the younger grades. While the school's setting is a good fit with Trek North's programming, the building itself is structurally sound. However, major renovations would still be needed. If Trek North was to purchase this property, a lot of work would need to be done to restore this property back to being an elementary school. This area that you see right here behind me used to be the playground, one of the many areas that would need to be redone. Many of the playground's original putting still remain, and while the building and utilities are in working condition, changes to the layout of the classrooms would need to be made. With the way that the interior of that school is designed right now, it would require a pretty significant renovation for it to be suitable for our program. And so, we don't want to pay to renovate a building that we don't own. Trek North has its eyes set on the future and are looking to have the kindergarten through fifth grade program running by the fall of 2018, meaning that the old Deer Lake School Bell could sound again in the near future. In Babiji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. Trek North is hoping to have a decision on the possible purchase of the school within the next couple of weeks. If Trek North does purchase the Deer Lake School, renovations are expected to happen later this summer. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.