As the latest chapter of bond projects closes in Greeley-Evans School District 6, leaders expect a future bond will help address capacity and impending facility needs. The district celebrated the completion of 2019 bond projects on Wednesday evening at Greeley West High School. Kent Henson, assistant superintendent of operations who has overseen the projects, walked attendees through the process of reaching a resolution, which took just under five years.
In November 2019, voters in District 6 voted to pass a $395 million bond. Due to the timing, strong credit ratings, enrollment stability and a low level of existing debt, District 6 sold the bonds in its first sale to gain $63 million in proceeds. The second sale also succeeded, gaining another $33 million and bringing the total to an additional $96 million.
Before the proposal reached voters, the first steps included creating a facility master plan to look at the pros and cons of every building in the district, which had more cons due to deferred maintenance, Hensen said. Assessments identified about $1 billion in needs across the district. At the time, the district had 5,000 students past the capacity of the district’s classrooms, requiring 142 portable classrooms, Hensen said.
As the second-fastest growing district in Weld County, the projected growth of another 1,500 students in the next 10 years concerned district officials. Amid capacity concerns, buildings throughout District 6 also had critical maintenance issues, l.