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EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado — School officials reached no decision Wednesday night on turning the old Battle Mountain High School in Eagle-Vail, Colorado, into a pre-kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school.
For some school board members, new cost estimates for the project complicated the decision.
Board President Scott Green said that if the cost of remodeling the old high school had come in at around $10 million or $12 million, the district could fund the project without asking for voter permission to borrow money.
But the estimates came in higher — about $24.2 million — which makes a vote more difficult because the board must seek voter approval to fund the project, he said.
“A motion to combine the schools is an action item, and it makes no sense to have a board directive to consolidate schools and then wait two years for the voters to decide whether they want to support a tax increase to accommodate the board action item,” Green said.
School officials have said the recession would force them to wait a few years before asking voters for a tax increase.
School board member Brian Nolan said he can't make a decision on the old Battle Mountain building without reaching conclusions on issues tied to it.
“I don't have an agenda or an answer, but trying to piecemeal this thing will be a disaster,” Nolan said.
The current proposal calls for moving Meadow Mountain Elementary School and Minturn Middle School students into the old high school building.
Nolan said the board needs to consider the fate of the vacant Minturn Middle and Meadow Mountain buildings if students move. Other unresolved issues include the location of the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy, which currently shares Minturn Middle School.
School board Vice President Connie Kincaid-Strahan called for scheduling a work session after the election. The session will explore the future of all district schools east of Wolcott, she said. Also, officials will discuss whether the district should fund special programs such as expeditionary learning at the schools, she said. Currently fundraising or non-permanent grants prop up those programs.
Green brought up phasing in the pre-K-through-eighth-grade school at the old Battle Mountain High. Meadow Mountain students could move into the building first, followed by the other grades when funding is available, he said. That would free up the current Meadow Mountain property for development or other uses, Green said.
Ray Scott, the district's director of construction, said he plans to gather cost estimates for phasing in the school. They'll be ready in a week, he said. Phasing in the project would increase the total cost by a few million dollars, he estimated.
Residents who spoke at the meeting expressed mixed views on the old Battle Mountain High School.
Shelley Bellm, a Minturn town councilwoman who has three kids in the school district, said Minturn has already lost three schools over the years.
“Losing another school in our community — we won't be a community,” she said.
Bellm said Minturn Middle School's expeditionary-learning program, which focuses on hands-on lessons, should stay on Minturn's scenic property close to the river.
“I think it's very prudent of the board to take more time and look at the whole picture,” she said.
Eagle-Vail resident Steven Kirchner, who has three kids in the district, said he thinks a good facility for the expeditionary-learning program is more important than the location. He said the Eagle-Vail location would be more convenient for him and many other parents with students in Minturn Middle School.
“I would implore the board to move forward reasonably and responsibly but continue to move forward,” he said.
For some school board members, new cost estimates for the project complicated the decision.
Board President Scott Green said that if the cost of remodeling the old high school had come in at around $10 million or $12 million, the district could fund the project without asking for voter permission to borrow money.
But the estimates came in higher — about $24.2 million — which makes a vote more difficult because the board must seek voter approval to fund the project, he said.
“A motion to combine the schools is an action item, and it makes no sense to have a board directive to consolidate schools and then wait two years for the voters to decide whether they want to support a tax increase to accommodate the board action item,” Green said.
School officials have said the recession would force them to wait a few years before asking voters for a tax increase.
School board member Brian Nolan said he can't make a decision on the old Battle Mountain building without reaching conclusions on issues tied to it.
“I don't have an agenda or an answer, but trying to piecemeal this thing will be a disaster,” Nolan said.
The current proposal calls for moving Meadow Mountain Elementary School and Minturn Middle School students into the old high school building.
Nolan said the board needs to consider the fate of the vacant Minturn Middle and Meadow Mountain buildings if students move. Other unresolved issues include the location of the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy, which currently shares Minturn Middle School.
School board Vice President Connie Kincaid-Strahan called for scheduling a work session after the election. The session will explore the future of all district schools east of Wolcott, she said. Also, officials will discuss whether the district should fund special programs such as expeditionary learning at the schools, she said. Currently fundraising or non-permanent grants prop up those programs.
Green brought up phasing in the pre-K-through-eighth-grade school at the old Battle Mountain High. Meadow Mountain students could move into the building first, followed by the other grades when funding is available, he said. That would free up the current Meadow Mountain property for development or other uses, Green said.
Ray Scott, the district's director of construction, said he plans to gather cost estimates for phasing in the school. They'll be ready in a week, he said. Phasing in the project would increase the total cost by a few million dollars, he estimated.
Residents who spoke at the meeting expressed mixed views on the old Battle Mountain High School.
Shelley Bellm, a Minturn town councilwoman who has three kids in the school district, said Minturn has already lost three schools over the years.
“Losing another school in our community — we won't be a community,” she said.
Bellm said Minturn Middle School's expeditionary-learning program, which focuses on hands-on lessons, should stay on Minturn's scenic property close to the river.
“I think it's very prudent of the board to take more time and look at the whole picture,” she said.
Eagle-Vail resident Steven Kirchner, who has three kids in the district, said he thinks a good facility for the expeditionary-learning program is more important than the location. He said the Eagle-Vail location would be more convenient for him and many other parents with students in Minturn Middle School.
“I would implore the board to move forward reasonably and responsibly but continue to move forward,” he said.
