<\/p>\n
After winning support for a bond measure that will secure almost $5 million in funding, the Mancos School District is preparing for a major school renovation project.<\/p>\n
Bond Measure 3A, which passed in Tuesday\u2019s election with 72.8 percent of the vote, will increase the district\u2019s debt by $4.95 million for the purpose of school building remodeling, to be paid off with increased property taxes over the next 20 years.<\/p>\n
The district has already secured $19.7 million in a Building Excellent Schools Today grant, so the bond will cover the remaining costs of what is estimated to be a $25 million project. Superintendent Brian Hanson said the next step is the design process, which he hopes will begin before the end of the year.<\/p>\n
The remodel project will include updates to the electrical systems and plumbing in many of the district\u2019s aging buildings, added safety features, additions to the gym and performance center and a major overhaul of the middle school buildings to turn them into a single building, among other things. Hanson said the district has already begun contract negotiations with Denver-based architectural firm Humphries Poli, which will design the project.<\/p>\n
The owner\u2019s representative for the project is former school board member Monty Guiles, who said he stepped down in August in order to avoid a conflict of interest.<\/p>\n
Hanson said the school\u2019s first step, after finalizing negotiations with Humphries Poli, will be to send out requests for proposal from construction companies. Guiles said he plans to ask the designer and construction managers for the project to work together closely even during the design process, to make sure the remodel is designed in a \u201cconstructable\u201d way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next step is the design process, and we\u2019ll hopefully start that process before the end of this year,\u201d he said. \u201cWe plan to start construction at the end of the school year, in the spring.\u201d<\/p>\n
He emphasized that the exact cost of the project has not been determined yet, so it could end up costing less than the $25 million the district has set aside.<\/p>\n
Hanson said he hopes to finish most of the major construction next summer, so that students don\u2019t need to move out of their classrooms during the school year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve told parents and students throughout this campaign, we want to maximize the time when students are not on campus and minimize the impact when they\u2019re on campus,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to be moving students out of any buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, he said, the school board still needs to officially sign an agreement to sell the bond, which he said would likely happen at its next meeting, on Monday.<\/p>\n
On election night, several board members and school district employees went to the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder\u2019s office to hear results. They expressed relief and satisfaction with the bond measure\u2019s passage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re ecstatic,\u201d Hanson said after results were read.<\/p>\n
Anne Benson, a member of the volunteer bond committee that advocated for the measure throughout the summer, also said she was pleased with the results, and thanked everyone who turned out to vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project will be a lasting legacy that cements our commitment to our children\u2019s and the town\u2019s future,\u201d she said in a Wednesday email.<\/p>\n
The property tax increases required by the bond measure will go into effect at the beginning of 2018.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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