The West End School District has seen its enrollment continue to drop over the last couple decades, and has had trouble keeping school facilities up to code. This year, the district was awarded a nearly 13 million dollar BEST grant from the State of Colorado. BEST grants — which stands for Building Excellent Schools Today— provide matching money for school districts that can’t afford building repairs on their own.
If voters approve raising close to 9 million dollars in matching funds through this fall’s bond election, the West End School District will have the money to build a new school. KVNF’s Ariana Brocious spoke to Paul Koski, former school board member and chairman of the bond committee, about the potential impact of the BEST grant on West End communities. Koski started by explaining the need for the grant.
For more information on the West End School District Bond election, contact Paul Koski (970.428.2276) or Superintendent Tom Taucher (970.864.7350).
Last year, the Paradox Valley Charter school—also in the West End District—got their own BEST grant to expand their facility. This year, they finished the capital campaign to raise the matching funds. The school’s building committee has started on the design phase, which will last through late October. Bids for subcontractors and materials will go out in mid-December.
