The Capital Construction Assistance Board this week reviewed grant applications from across the state seeking $366.4 million in grants from the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) financial assistance fund.A summary of the applications was presented for the first time to the Capital Construction Assistance Board at its meeting on Wednesday, March 23. The list is posted on the BEST Web site: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdefinance/CapConstBEST.htm
The assistance board will meet for four days during the last week of June to select which of these grant applications to recommend to the Colorado State Board of Education for approval. The list of recommendations will be presented to the state board for information and approval later this year.
Applications for BEST Cash Grant Projects (defined below) are:
Adams County School District 14:
Central Elementary School health and safety enhancement program, $953,546 request; $117,854 district match.
Adams City Middle School health and safety enhancement program, $12 million request; $156,816 district match.
Rose Hill Elementary School health and safety enhancement program, $652,993 request; $80,707 district match.
Adams County School District 50:
Sunset Ridge Elementary School roof replacement, $449,046 request; $126,654 district match.
Day Elementary School roof replacement, $528,766 request; $149,139 district match.
Tennyson Knolls Elementary School roof replacement, $508,516 request; $143,427 district match.
New elementary school, $18.8 million request, $5.3 million district match.
Aspen Community Charter School, Aspen School District:
New school building, $5.9 million request; $4.6 million local match.
Aurora Public Schools:
Clyde Miller Elementary School improvements, $1.6 million request; $505,949 district match.
Bennett School District:
Roof renovation, $246,180 request; $313,321 district match.
Big Sandy Schools:
New school building, $19.3 million request; $2.8 million district match.
Branson School District:
Roof project, $232,561 request; $206,233 district match.
Byers School District:
Elementary school, junior high school and senior high school reroof, $869,722 request; $802,820 district match.
Colorado Springs Charter Academy, Colorado Charter School Institute:
Gymnasium flooding remediation project, $197,244 request; $6,100 local match.
Colorado Springs School District 11:
Madison and Monroe elementary schools fire alarm replacements, $98,560 request; $77,440 district match.
Compass Montessori-Wheat Ridge Charter School:
Addressing safety and overcrowding, $1 million request; $1.3 million local match.
Corridor Community Academy, Bennett School District:
School replacement, $3 million request; $2.3 million local match.
Cotopaxi School District RE-3:
Plaza reconstruction, $46,873 request; $70,309 district match.
Cripple Creek-Victor School District:
HVAC controls, $37,976 request; $56,964 district match.
Del Norte School District:
Consolidated elementary school and site safety improvements, $8.2 million request; $6.4 million district match.
Denver Public Schools:
Air-quality and water-quality improvements, $927,133 request; $758,564 district match.
Parking and site circulation issues, $742,269 request; $607,311 district match.
Dolores RE-4A Schools:
Campus renovations, $3.5 million request; $3.9 million district match.
Eagle County Charter Academy, Eagle County School District RE50-J:
New school facility, $9.3 million request; $2.9 million local match.
Eaton School District:
High school asbestos-containing materials abatement and piping replacement, $149,688 request; $266,112 district match.
Elbert School District 200:
Facility replacement project, $16.2 million request; $3.6 million district match.
Ellicott School District 22:
Replacing an existing middle school, $15.8 million request; $2.3 million district match.
Englewood Schools:
Colorado’s Finest Alternative High School relocation and renovation, $9.2 million; $8.1 million district match.
Falcon School District 49:
Horizon Middle School, life safety renovations and addition, $8.3 million request; $9.4 million district match.
Florence School District Re-2:
Fremont Elementary School renovation and addition, $8.5 million request; $4.4 million district match.
Free Horizon Montessori Charter School, Jeffco Public Schools:
Repairs and expansion, $2.4 million request; $2.4 million local match.
Ft. Lupton School District Re-8:
HVAC upgrades, security improvements, $5.3 million request, $4.5 million district match.
Georgetown Community School, Clear Creek School District RE-1:
New building addition, $358,050 request; $219,450 local match.
Harrison School District 2:
HVAC upgrades at multiple sites, $1.1 million request; $212,155 district match.
Giberson Elementary School boiler replacement, $181,565 request; $34,853 district match.
Stratmoor Hills Elementary School boiler replacement, $206,328 request; $39,300 district match.
Holyoke School District Re-1J:
Roof replacement, $982,605 request; $711,541 district match.
Air-quality improvements, $765,759 request; district match.
Electrical and fire alarm upgrades, $537,665 request; $389,344 district match.
Security upgrades, $338,948 request; $241,825 district match.
Site safety upgrades, $209,182 request; $151,477 district match.
Horizons K-8 Alternative Charter School, Boulder Valley School District:
Horizons K-8 school phase 2 project, $5.5 million request; $478,779 local match.
Idalia School District RJ-3:
New PK-12 building and re-purposing of the existing gymnasium, $11 million request; $3.8 million district match.
Ignacio 11-JT:
Life safety renovations, $21 million request; $3.3 million district match.
Jefferson Academy Charter School, Jeffco Public Schools:
Improvements, $126,957; $175,322 local match.
Kiowa School District C-2:
Structural stability repairs, $397,629 request; $549,108 district match.
La Veta School District RE-2:
La Veta High School re-roof, $52,329 request; $81,849 district match.
Lake School District R-1:
Elementary school renovation, $3.6 million request; $2.8 million district match.
Middle school renovation, $426,764 request; $335,315 district match.
High school renovation, $15.2 million request; $12 million district match.
Lewis-Palmer School District 38:
Middle school roof replacement, $363,849 request; $444,705 district match.
Middle school facility safety upgrade (locks), $45,047 request; $55,508 district match.
Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1:
New high school building, new elementary school building, renovations of middle school and an elementary school, $39.2 million request; $44.2 million district match.
Otis School District R-3:
New middle school and high school facilities, $21.8 million request; $2.4 million district match.
Paradox Valley Charter School, West End Public Schools RE-2:
Renovations, $2.4 million request; $304,702 district match.
Peetz Plateau School District RE-5:
Energy and security improvements, $413 request; $646,704 district match.
Peyton School District:
Addition to high school, $3.2 million request; $2.6 million district match.
Prairie School District:
New PK-12 replacement facility and re-purposing of the existing gym, $13 million request; $3.4 million district match.
Pueblo School District 70:
Pueblo West High School classroom addition, $2.1 million request; $1.4 million district match.
Roaring Fork School District RE-1:
Sopris Elementary School re-roof, $386,585 request; $509450 district match.
Rocky Mountain Deaf School:
New school facility, $13.1 million request; $221,404 local match.
Ross Montessori School, Colorado Charter School Institute:
New school facility, $10.6 million request; $1 million local match.
Sanford School District:
Sanford PK-12 school project, $20.9 million request; $1.1 million district match.
Sheridan Public Schools:
New school facility to consolidate grades three through eight, $21.5 million request; $6.8 million district match.
Sierra Grande School District R-30:
Sierra Grande School reroof, $1 million request; $254,937 district match.
Southwest Open Charter School, Montezuma-Cortez RE-1:
Improvements, $7.4 million request; $3.4 million local match.
St. Vrain Valley School District:
Roof replacement, asbestos removal, $731,504 request; $702,817 district match.
Strasburg 31J School District:
Asbestos abatement/carpet replacement, $109,150 request; $36,383 district match.
Elementary school kitchen floor, $20,625 request; $6,875 district match.
Thompson School District:
Roof replacement, $496,650 request; $658,350 district match.
West End Re-2 School District:
New PK-12 school facility, $13.3 million request; $9.2 million district match.
Wray School District:
Buchanan Middle School reroof, $66,603 request; $54,494 district match.
About BEST
The BEST legislation increases the level of financial assistance provided to school districts, Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, charter schools and Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) for capital construction projects, particularly in those school districts that can’t afford to meet their own needs.
The function of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board is to protect the health and safety of persons using public school facilities and to maximize student achievement by ensuring public school facilities provide a safe and un-crowded environment that is conducive to student learning.
The source of revenue for the Assistance Fund is revenues from the State Land Trust, lottery proceeds, matching grant funds, interest on money in the Assistance Fund and remaining dollars from the prior grant program.
There are two types of BEST Grants; cash grants and lease-purchase grants.
BEST Cash Grants are typically used to fund smaller projects like new roofs, asbestos abatement, upgrades and boiler replacements. Cash Grant recipients can begin using their awarded funds immediately after the state board has approved funding.
BEST Lease-Purchase Grants, also known as COP’s (Certificates of Participation), are typically used to fund larger projects like new school buildings, major renovations and additions. Lease-purchase grants are financed by the State Treasurer’s Office.
Lease-Purchase grantees must wait to use funds until the financing is closed. Since these grants are financed, financing must be paid back with future Assistance Fund revenues.
For more information on the Capital Construction Assistance Board and to read board minutes, visit http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdefinance/CapConstmain.htm
