Teachers and students already utilizing CBCS building additions

Renovations slated for August completion

By Kendra Walker

Improvements to the Crested Butte Community School continue to make headway, and during a recent community open house the school showed off some of the most recent milestones in the construction process. Teachers, staff and students have already moved into many of the new classrooms and spaces.

The new secondary STEAM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) wing adjacent to the library is complete, with teachers and students having moved in mid-January. The space is impressive, encouraging student collaboration and flexible learning in the common areas. The classroom windows display open views of Crested Butte Mountain, an inspiring backdrop for the Gunnison Valley’s future leaders and innovators.

On the elementary school side, the new entry and administration wing, classrooms and multi-use spaces blend seamlessly with the original building and classrooms. The newly complete elementary wing pre-k classrooms will be open for instruction starting in fall 2026. The elementary art and STEM rooms are also a major upgrade, chalk full with workspaces, supplies storage and opportunities for students to display and show off their creative work.

Members of the CBCS faculty at the open house expressed a shared sense of excitement and gratitude for these much-needed improvements and upgrades. They also noted already seeing the students take ownership of these new spaces and be able to utilize the thoughtful and intentional design.

“It was a really positive evening with over 50 people attending,” superintendent Leslie Nichols shared about the open house at a recent board meeting.

Construction on the secondary school classrooms and administration renovations are now underway. According to Matt Prinster of Artaic Group, the school district’s owner’s representative, interior demolition on the southwest corner of the building began last week. Those rooms will be reconfigured as the new secondary school commons area, secondary administrative offices and new entrance from the south parking lot. Prinster said that work will continue through this school year and into the summer.

The CBCS building renovations and expansions are approximately 80% complete with all deliverables slated for completion in mid-August, with the exception of the planned Red Lady roundabout in partnership with the town of Crested Butte. Prinster said the remaining construction work slated for summer 2026 includes finishing up that interior southwest building corner, landscaping and reconfiguring the south parking lot.

Due to the remaining construction, there will be no Summer Experience taking place at the CBCS building this coming summer. Prinster noted this will help for a more seamless construction experience and better experience for the students. However, Gunnison Watershed students can participate in Summer Experience programming taking place in Gunnison this summer.

“It’s going to continue to look like a construction site over there this summer, especially with everything happening with the Whetstone Project and future Red Lady roundabout, but I think it will be worth it with us wrapping up the project this August,” said Prinster. “We’re so appreciative of the overall Gunnison Watershed School District community. It’s been a long time coming so it’s kind of surreal that we’re wrapping up these projects this calendar year.”