The Juniper School will likely receive a loan of up to $400,000 from Durango School District 9-R to fund its move into two Tech Center buildings.
The district voted 4-0 on Tuesday to approve the loan needed to renovate two former office buildings that will allow the kindergarten through fifth grade school to add students and additional grades. Board member Marianna Valdez was not present.
The loan will be subject to stipulations The Juniper School board will have to approve, said Mick Souder, 9-R school board member.
“We want to take a little time to develop what the exact stipulations are,” he said.
The Juniper School is chartered through 9-R and is financially accountable to the district.
Juniper School Board President Heather Houk said school officials were encouraged by 9-R’s decision.
“We got the green light for the loan,” she said.
The money will be paid back to 9-R through property tax funds that are already going to the school. Even if the school folded, 9-R could recuperate the funds through the property taxes.
The Juniper School has operated for two years in a building above Big Picture High School on 12th Street, and it started seriously planning for a move in December.
The Juniper School planned to move into its new buildings in August. But school building inspections are backed up statewide, so 9-R is planning to allow the school to stay in the Big Picture building at least part of next school year, Juniper board member Marcus Burtner said.
The Juniper School may be in the Big Picture building through December or longer, he said.
Several parents of students in The Juniper School spoke in support of the school ahead of the vote.
Leah Roy-Ehri said her children enrolled in fourth grade and kindergarten when her family moved here in January, and she chose to live the area in part because of the diversity of schools available in 9-R, such as The Juniper School.
“My kids have come in and just absolutely thrived,” she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
