St. Paul's East Side would be home to a new "state of the art" middle school under a recommendation to be presented to school board members on Tuesday.

The building with a pricetag of $65 million to $70 million would be included in the first set of projects to be developed by the district as part of a long-term facilities plan approved by the board in December.

Also being proposed is the relocation of Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy from space it now shares with Hamline Elementary to the current Homecroft Early Learning Center in Highland Park.

Jie Ming, now a K-4 program, is adding a grade per year, and is a district success story. In 2015, each of its 25 third-graders tested proficient in math in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) exams.

The idea to add a middle school and to locate it on the East Side is not new. The board heard last year that space will be tight in the district's grades 6-8 buildings and that student population growth is expected to be particularly strong in the city's northeast corner.

But the recommendation to build new -- rather than repurpose an existing building -- is new to the discussion. Currently, the district budgets about $30 million annually for building improvements and construction.

The administration will give a preliminary briefing to a board committee on Tuesday. Listening sessions then are expected to be held on the East Side before the board takes final action on April 26.

To learn more, go to the board's webpage at boe.spps.org and click on "Board Book 2016."