Dolores County (Colo.) School District RE-2J has broken ground on a replacement elementary school in Dove Creek.
The Journal reports that the district will replace the aging Seventh Street Elementary with a $22.9 million campus.
Funding for the facility comes from a $10.3 million bond issue approved last year by voters and a $12.6 million BEST grant from the state department of education.
District officials hope to open the school in the 2024-25 school year.
In the meantime, a virtual reality station has been set up in the old school so that those who are interested can get a 3D virtual-reality view of the future school.
The new school was deemed necessary because of deteriorating conditions at Seventh Street Elementary. Officials say the facility is incapable of providing an appropriate and safe learning environment for young children.
The school’s ventilation is incapable of removing carbon dioxide, especially at drop-off and pickup times when cars are idling outside.
The toilets are occasionally out of service for 30 to 45 minutes because of water problems caused by highly corroded pipes.
The sewer line has been replaced to stop backups, but that did not fully end the problems. The school’s heating system is inadequate, with many students wearing coats during the winter and teachers depending on space heaters.
"It does not make sense to keep putting band-aids on these problems because we likely will never resolve them to a point where the school will be safe and ready for future generations of students," the district says.
