Chalk Talk from Jeffco Public Schools – Superintendent’s Corner
January 22, 2016
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As many of you know, the growth of Jeffco Public Schools’ facilities needs has increased dramatically over the past few years. Schools in Northwest Arvada, in particular, are experiencing overcrowding due to increasing residential developments that are attracting new families to the area.
In September, the Board of Education selected the Candelas site in Arvada to build a new K-6 school. Last week, the Board decided to expand this new school development to serve between 800 and 1,000 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The new K-8 school will not only increase the amount of student seats, it will also prevent lengthy bus rides for seventh and eighth grade students to the current middle schools in the area.
In addition, the Board decided to move forward with the much-needed completion of the “Phase II” project at Sierra Elementary. The project was put on hold after the failure of a 2008 bond package, and the need to address both capacity and expansive soil issues has only grown. The completion of this project will provide an additional 250 seats, and correct the issues related to floor slab movement.
These are only the first steps in meeting the growing capacity needs in the Northwest Arvada (Northwest Corridor) area. Other future urgent needs in this fast growing region include a Table Rock Mesa PK-8 school, a K-6 school at Leyden Rock, and an expansion at Ralston Valley High School.
In order to finance both projects, the Board is seeking Certificates of Participation (COP). The school at the Candelas site is estimated to cost $25 million, while the completion of Sierra Phase II is estimated to cost $15 million. Both projects are slated to be completed for the 2017-18 school year.
We will continue to update you as we move forward with these projects.
Warmest regards, Dan
