Keeping up with growth in the Douglas County School District
will take six new elementary schools, a new middle school and a new
stadium.
That’s the recommendation of the district’s long-range planning
committee as part of an expected bond question on the November
general election ballot. The committee pitched potential projects
for an estimated $168 million bond July 18 to the Douglas County
Board of Education. Included in the committee’s recommendations are
the following projects:
* Two elementary schools and one middle school in
Parker.
* Two elementary schools in Highlands Ranch.
* Two elementary schools in Castle Rock.
* A district stadium.
* An early childhood center.
* Warehouse renovations.
* Addition of at least one f-pod on an existing high school
for career/technical education. An f-pod is the final wing that can
be added to a high school and can serve up to 400
students.
* Renovations to eight elementary schools.
Some board of education members were caught off-guard by the
committee’s recommendation that no dollars be allocated for
improvements to Douglas County High School.
“I agree with the recommendation even though I’m surprised by
it,” said board member John Carson, who toured Douglas County High
School with the long-range planning members. “I don’t favor
bulldozing and building a new one. I don’t favor waiting five years
to do something. I think it’s going to get dicey.”
Committee vice chair Fred Wucherpfennig said a better time to
remodel Douglas County High School would be after enrollment drops
as more students attend Castle View High School.
To be equitable, some work to Douglas County High School would
need to be in the bond, superintendent Jim Christensen
said.
“I think ignoring the regularly scheduled remodeling is a
difficult issue to handle internally,” Christensen said.
Board members Emily Hanson and Kristine Sherman are also
concerned about updating the aging school.
“I don’t want to put good money after bad,” Sherman
said.
Carson is closely watching the bond’s costs, trying to keep it
at a level that will not raise the mill levy over the district’s
tax rate.
“I think it’s a good position to be in to go to the taxpayers
and say we don’t have to increase the mill levy,” Carson
said.
The board of education will cement the bond question at its Aug.
15 meeting. Before then, the board will discuss the bond at a
public work session at 5 p.m. Aug. 1 at the school district
administration building, 620 Wilcox St. in Castle Rock.
Board member Sandy Panetta was absent from the
meeting.
Contact Joan Gandy at jgandy@ccnewspapers.com.