Montrose County School Board members will vote next Tuesday ( August 27, 2024) on whether to place a bond measure on the November ballot to fund a new high school in Montrose.
“There's a lot of different reasons for a new high school,” said Dr. Carrie Stephenson, RE-1J District Superintendent. “ I think it's important to note that over the last 80 years there have been eight major renovations.”
Stephenson says the district began a master capital planning process three years ago to address facility and capital needs in the district. She says Montrose High School rose to the top of that master capital plan “with the most significant needs.”
The nearly 80 year old building takes up a significant portion of the district's budget for deferred maintenance year after year. With more renovations needed, district officials hosted numerous meetings with stakeholders to find the most cost effective plan for the building constructed in the 1940s.
“It was ultimately decided that it would be the most fiscally responsible decision to have a new high school constructed rather than yet another remodel,” said the superintendent.
If placed on the November ballot and approved by voters within the RE-1J school district, the bond just under $200 million will replace the old high school while adding a number of improvements to the campus.
For Superintendent Stephenson, one of the key reasons for a new building is safety. The current building has over 50 exterior doors.
“We had stakeholder groups specific to our law enforcement partners to get their perspective on how we can improve the safety and security measures at the high school. It was really great to have that input involved in the process. And with as many exterior doors like you stated, that becomes really challenging. So the new design really is more streamlined for specific student entrances and able to better monitor both our students, staff and guests that are coming to the campus,” she said.
“In addition to that, there was a very large conversation about the traffic that is on Townsend and students pulling in and out from parking lots. So there was an intentional shift in the design at that point to have the entrance of the building face and be open to Rio Grand Avenue rather than Townsend Avenue, which is just going to create additional safety measures for our students,” Stephenson added.
Despite a large price tag for new construction, Stephenson says the plan will save the district money in the long run.
“So our estimated cost is $198 million, which is right in line comparable to the cost, including escalation and interest cost for the Grand Junction High School that was just previously built,” said the superintendent adding that it will cost the district more if the bond doesn’t pass.
“So there are a lot of intangible costs for every year we wait. That cost increases by 10% inflation. So in ten years, that price will double."
According to documents on the school's website, the estimated tax impact is 8 to $10 per month per $100,000 of a home's actual value.
“One more thing that I would like to add is that in Montrose County, many people don't realize that our tax rate is the lowest comparable to our neighboring counties. So we are at a lower tax rate currently and really have tried hard to demonstrate financial responsibility with those taxpayer dollars,” Stephenson noted.
If the bond passes, construction would begin in the summer of 2025 and be completed in the summer of 2027. A new football stadium will be completed in 2028.
More information about the bond issue is available on the district's website.
