BVSD School Board Hears Bond Issue Construction Update, Approves Labor Contracts

The Boulder Valley school board heard an update Tuesday on the $350 million capital construction bond issue, which includes 16 projects under construction over the summer that add up to about $40 million in work.

The largest project under construction is a new building for Boulder’s New Vista High School. Other projects in the bond, approved by voters in 2022, include a new $40.9 million school to ease overcrowding at Erie’s Meadowlark School and about $36 million to expand career and technical education offerings. Another $123 million is earmarked for building needs, such as replacing roofs and boilers.

New Vista was the first school under construction, with a renovation last summer because most of the design work for the 68,000-square-foot building was already complete.

Infrastructure improvements to the school were included in a previous bond issue, but were put on hold while the district considered its rebuild. An additional $11 million budgeted for New Vista from a previous bond issue was added to the current project budget, for a total of approximately $47.2 million.

The district is keeping New Vista students in the original building while the new one is under construction at 700 St. 20. the campus.

As of this month, exterior wall panels and roof installation are complete and interior drywall finishes are about 30% complete. The plan is for students to move into the new building in December, and then demolish the old building.

The rest of the district’s schools are divided into four phases for construction. The schools in the first phase — with construction mostly happening this summer — are Alicia Sanchez Elementary, Angevine Middle, Boulder Prep, Broomfield Heights Middle, Broomfield High, Centaurus High, Columbine Elementary, Fireside Elementary, Justice High, Lafayette Elementary and University Hill Elementary.

These projects are generally expected to be completed in August. Columbine and Justice High are expected to be completed sooner, by the end of the month. Centaurus’ engineering arm is scheduled for completion in November.

“Our first-phase bond projects are off to a really strong start,” said Kris Stoppenhagen, Boulder Valley’s executive director of bond planning.

Also included in the first phase are tennis court replacements at Fairview High and Centennial Middle, a teaching kitchen addition to the district’s central kitchen and improvements to improve playground accessibility at Eisenhower, Foothill, Kohl, Louisville elementary schools and the Netherlands. Altogether, the bond issue includes playground access improvements at 16 schools.

In other business, the school board approved the superintendent’s evaluation and contract agreements with its employee groups.

The board’s evaluation of Anderson after six years in the district was positive, praising her for addressing declining enrollment, auditing the district’s strategic plan, working to close gaps in opportunity and achievement for students and helping to adapt four to new school board members.

“We’re really happy to have you at the helm,” said Boulder Valley School Board President Nicole Rajpal.

Per contract agreements, the district is giving all employees a 4% cost-of-living raise next school year, but had to cut $5 million from the budget to accommodate it. The total additional cost for the district’s salary increase is $18.9 million.

For teachers, a 4% increase will raise the starting salary from $54,789 to $56,981.

In addition to the pay raise, the new teachers’ agreement includes a process for educators to deal with uncivil behavior. When parents, guardians, advocates, students, or colleagues express concerns using profanity, profanity, or other abusive behavior, the agreement provides that educators are not obligated to continue the meeting or discussion and must report it.

The district and teachers union also agreed to study several issues, including updating supplemental pay, evaluating class composition and class sizes in early childhood and elementary grades, increasing compensation for dual language educators and increasing instructional time. primary and secondary school planning.