2020 Bond Construction Projects

Elwell Elementary

Opened Fall 2022

Virtual Fly Through

RB+B Architects has put together this "fly through" video highlighting some of the main features of the preliminary design work (meaning not a final design) on the new Elwell campus. You can view the video by clicking the image to the left.

Roosevelt High School

Opened Fall 2023

Elwell Elementary

The replacement for Letford Elementary, named Elwell Elementary, will honor the amazing work of our students, educators, and community.

Budget for project: $34,101,813

Bond Match - $24,553,305
BEST Grant - $9,548,508

Elwell Elementary replaced Letford Elementary. Click the right arrow to learn more.

Why was Letford Elementary replaced?

Facility Condition Index (FCI) - This ratio is calculated by The Colorado Department of Education and is an industry-standard measurement of a facility’s condition. FCI is the ratio of the cost to correct a facility's deficiencies to the current replacement value of the facilities. The Facility Scorecard (FCI) for Letford Elementary measured in the critical range. It is more cost effective to replace Letford than to proceed with costly repairs and updates. This 1957 building was simply not designed to meet the needs of today.

Key Features and Student Benefit:

Core educational areas are organized into grade-level learning communities. Each learning community is designed and furnished to offer students and educators variety and choice in their educational environment to optimize learning for every student.
A generous two-story central space for students to come together for shared activities, divided into three parts – a Learning Commons, a Learning Stair, and a Dining Commons.
A Gymnasium enhanced with funding from Thompson River Parks and Recreation for after-hours community use.
A Community Room located adjacent to the main building entrance for shared use and after-hours use by the community.
Located adjacent to Clearview Park such that school amenities and town amenities complement one another for school and community use.

Elwell Elementary Floor Plans and Design (click arrow to the right)

-Michael Wailes, President, Weld Re-5J Board of Education

Project Advisory Group

Designing a new school building is a new experience for me. I imagined that the architects and contractors would lead the discussion and tell us how the school should be built, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was our educators and community members driving the conversation and ultimately the design of this new building. It was an engaging process that enabled them to think outside of the traditional (and literal) “box” of what a classroom and school could look like.

While the structure and construction of the building will be designed by engineers to ensure it meets the Uniform Building Code and will employ the best measures for safety, security, efficiency, and longevity, the educational areas have been designed by our educators; the actual people who will be using those spaces on a daily basis.

I am so proud of our team for the time and dedication they put into this process — this is going to be a great elementary school for our students.

Roosevelt High School

We are embarking on a new era for Roosevelt High School. Thanks to the trust and support of our community, we are building a state-of-the-art facility which will create additional real-world opportunities for students, and become a lasting legacy for years to come. Click on the images to enlarge for more detail.

Budget for project: $110,000,000

Why is a new Roosevelt High School needed?

Facility Condition Index (FCI) - This ratio is calculated by The Colorado Department of Education and is an industry-standard measurement of a facility’s condition. FCI is the ratio of the cost to correct a facility's deficiencies to the current replacement value of the facilities. The Facility Scorecard (FCI) for Roosevelt High School measured in the poor range. Ultimately the current facility and grounds will not support the projected growth of our community.

Land Donation

After extensive research, community engagement, and consultation, the Weld RE-5J Board of Education chose the Sauer-Whitehall parcel as the site for the new high school. This site is approximately 80 acres with primary access/frontage on County Road 13 (Colorado Boulevard). It was estimated the build costs on the Saur-Whitehall site would save a minimum of $ 2.2 million compared to the Lot Holdings site which was under consideration. Both sites were offered as donations. All board members expressed their gratitude to both the Sauer family and to Lot Holdings.

Click the image on the left to learn more about the land donation.

We have two very generous landowners; we have two great municipalities and an awesome electorate. In most school districts, the land is the leftover. It’s a table scrap from a developer - and the fact that we have two very prime pieces of ground, in a very very competitive real estate market, a very limited real estate market, that they are giving us a donation is almost unbelievable. When you really start to think about we see how very fortunate we are to find ourselves in the situation we are in,” said Michael Wailes, Board of Education President.

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