The Durango School District 9-R Board of Education on Tuesday night unanimously approved ballot language for a $150 million bond measure that will appear on the November ballot.
The bond would ask for an extension on previous taxes approved in prior bond elections. It would cost a homeowner about $14 per month, or $167 annually, for a home valued at $500,000, the district says. The bond measure would be audited quarterly by a citizen oversight committee.
If passed, the bond would fund projects like deferred maintenance, building a new elementary school at Three Springs, upgrading safety and security systems, and addressing housing for staff.
The estimated cost of building a new school would be around $50 million, 9-R Chief Operations Officer Chris Coleman told The Durango Herald in April.
The new school at Three Springs would allow the district to replace Florida Mesa Elementary School and give the district the option to consolidate leased properties to the Florida Mesa building as one option. The district spends about $400,000 per year on leased properties.
Coleman said the suggested bond projects polled well in a district survey distributed over the summer.
One of the questions in the survey asked 1,784 voters if they felt like the district was headed in the right direction. 51% said yes, while 21% said no. Of the 21% who said no, poor allocation and management of funds, neglecting student needs and inadequate communication were among the grievances.
For those who voted yes, commitment to quality education and student focus, innovative programs and facilities, and community and teacher engagement were considered strong points for the district.
Fifty-one percent of surveyed voters said the district is fiscally responsible and spends money wisely, while 22% disagreed. The other 27% of surveyed voters had no opinion on the matter.
This time, the district will not be allocating funds to local nondistrict charter schools for infrastructure.
Bond Issue 4A, which passed in 2020, allocated funds to Mountain Middle School for a new building and Animas High School for its new school building. The school district designated $1 million of bond money to Animas High School for the building and $2.5 million for the Mountain Middle School addition.
The district plans to include local charter schools in a partnership for staff housing. While state law only allows the district to build housing for its own staff, the district is seeking ways to partner with other educational entities to maximize housing opportunities for educators.
Coleman said the district is still fielding ideas on how to address high cost of living for its educators.
“The determination of whether housing can be offered to charter school educators will ultimately depend on the funding of the project. There are some Colorado state laws that limit, and in some cases seem to prohibit, what can and cannot be done in regard to this,” Coleman said.
Also, the way funds will be allocated across the district’s desired projects has yet to be determined.
The district is continuing its attempt to upgrade outdated infrastructure.
A facilities conditions assessment completed in 2023 showed that the district had about $129 million worth of maintenance needs over the course of the next decade.
“The type of work needed spans a wide variety including, but not limited to, mechanical and electrical needs, interior/exterior renovations, plumbing, roofing and fire/life safety investments,” Coleman said.
Coleman said this bond will not cover all of the district’s deferred maintenance needs.
The district spent about $10 million in renovations this summer using Bond Issue 4A money, attempting to replace outdated HVAC systems at Riverview Elementary School, Durango High School and Escalante Middle School.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
