Master Planning and

BEST Grants

Water issues

What we currently have

What we currently have

Water issues

What we currently have

Water issues

Soil from underneath sidewalk

What we currently have

Water issues

What we currently have

Water Intrusion

What we currently have

Drainage Problems = Heaving

Warped Door

What we currently have

Aging Classrooms and Student Space

What we currently have

Aging Classrooms and Student Space

What we currently have

Aging Classrooms and Student Space

What we currently have

Safety – Exterior & “Blind” Doors

Windows – Easily Opened71 Exterior Doors

What we currently have

Safety – Roof Access & Snow Melt

What we currently have

Safety – Fire Suppression

What we currently have

Energy Efficiency

What we currently have

Outdated Electrical and IT Systems

What we currently have

Plumbing?

BEST Program

• Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST)• Provides financial assistance to districts that might not otherwise be able generate sufficient funds to address facilities that are aging or deteriorating• Money leveraged from School Land Trust

BEST Program• Lease purchase grants – Large Projects such as whole school replacements• Cash Grants – Smaller projects (sometimes still in excess of $1,000,000) to improve existing facilities• School districts are required to provide matching funds• Match for Limon is 39% or debt limit, whichever is lesser

Potential Tax Impact from BEST Grant• Depends on the scope of the project(s)• Could be as little as $0• $10,000,000 project = $3,900,000 match (example)• Tax impact = approximately 7.4 mills• $7.66 per month on a $75,000 home• Agricultural• Grazing = 3 cents per acre per year• Dry-land = 13 cents per acre per year• Irrigated = 23 cents per acre per year

• $15,500,000 project = $6,000,000 match (max)• $20,000,000 project = $6,000,000 match• $50,000,000 project = $6,000,000 match• $100,000,000 project = $6,000,000 match

Historical Tax Impact• Reduction in 2003-2004 – additional value from Tri-State• Reduction in total mills over 15-years

BEST ProgramStep 1:- Taking Guidelines Developed by CDE (taking into account the findings of the statewide facilityassessment)- The School District Develops A Facility Master Plan and Determines A Project Scope.- Step 1 Ends With BEST Grant Application Submission in March 2- Communication With Local Community & CDE CCA Staff Begins To DevelopStep 2:- School District Project Evaluation By CDE Of Submitted Applications Begins.-Step 2 Ends With Projects Presented To The Assistance Board For Consideration & Acceptance/Rejection For Grant Assistance.- Communication With CDE Concerning Your Specific Project Intensifies.- Application Information Needs -To Be Summarized For CCAB – 2010 summary book was 938 pagesStep 3:- Projects Selected For Inclusion In State COP Financing, Requiring A “Matching Money” Bond- Seek Voter Approval- Documents Needed For Financing Are Collected (including “cash match” projects)- Communication With CDE Shifts In Focus- Communication With Local Community Intensifies DramaticallyStep 4:- Financing, Construction & Completion Projects With “Cash Match” And “Matching Money Bonds” begins- Communication With CDE – concerning construction – Intensifies

Why now?• Significant recent budget cuts• Town of Limon initiative• Only one more grant cycle for lease-purchase grants• BEST is nearing its borrowing limit• Cash grants at $20,000,000/year will be around indefinitely

The window of opportunity for large scale projects is closing

What is possible

Compared to…

What is possible

Compared to…

What is possible

Compared to…

What is possible

What is possible

Compared to…

What is possible

What is possible

What we currently have

A. D. 1923

21st Century Learning and Facilities

Are you ever going to be 18 again?If you were born after 1990, the answer is no!

Will our students ever be our age?Should we be preparing them for the world as it was when we were 18, or

how it will be when they are our age?Should our facilities be sufficient for

when we were 18, or sufficient for the class of 2024 when they are 18?

Good vs. GreatOur current facilities are ‘good enough’

Good, or ‘good enough’, is the biggest enemy of great.

Would we ever settle for ‘good enough’ in our academics?our athletics?

our electives (band, IA, FFA)?

We would not….why should our facilities be any different?

our staff?our students?