5A to fund school expansion and district safety improvements

$95 million bond prioritizes school safety, overcrowding, maintenance

[  By Kendra Walker  ]

This November, Gunnison County voters will decide whether to pass a $95 million bond that would fund school expansion and improvement projects for the Gunnison Watershed RE1J School District.

The school district has placed on the election ballot initiative 5A: a $95 million bond to address safety, overcrowding and maintenance issues across all the district’s facilities, as well as accommodate expansion of the district’s vocational education programming. According to superintendent Dr. Leslie Nichols, the plan being pursued is anticipated to address key needs of the school district for the next 10 to 15 years.

The total cost of the school expansion and improvements project is $101 million and the total amount of borrowing authorized by bond measure 5A would be up to $95 million, which would be repaid over 25 years. If passed by voters, the bond would cost residential property owners $199.12 annually per $500,000 assessed value with a 25-year payoff period. For businesses, it would cost $765.75 a year per $500,000 of commercial assessed value.

The expenditures of the proposed project are estimated at 56% for Crested Butte Community School (CBCS) improvements ($57 million), 43% for the Gunnison schools ($43 million) and 1% for Marble Charter School ($1 million). All school entrances will be improved to include best practices and industry standards for safety and security.

At Gunnison Community School, the bond would support a new HVAC system and classroom temperature controls. The cafeteria and kitchen would be expanded. Improvements to the field, playground, library and STEAM spaces would also be made. 

At Gunnison High School, improvements would be made to the cafeteria and mechanical system controls. The Pathways vocational education building would be expanded.  

At Lake School, the traffic flow and playground would be improved for safety and sustainability. Mechanical system controls would also be upgraded.

In Marble, upgrades would be made to a historic building the Charter School recently acquired.

In Crested Butte, the proposed plan would expand the CBCS building, including 13 new classrooms, new administration areas, a larger cafeteria, among other improvements to increase student capacity by 33%. CBCS currently has 102,066 square feet of floor area, and the addition in the current conceptual plan is for approximately 41,467 square feet of floor area. 

The CBCS building is currently at capacity and enrollment has more than doubled over the past 20 years, from 347 students in 2000 to approximately 735 students this school year. 

Funds would also be set aside for the district to work with the Town of Crested Butte and the Colorado Department of Transportation to mitigate traffic congestion at the entrance to the town and the school.

For more information on bond 5A and GWSD’s proposed expansion plans, visit gunnisonschools.net/bond. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.