Newsrooom

Thursday, June 25, 2009

DENVER, CO - Denver Public Schools (DPS) Superintendent Tom Boasberg was joined by community and civic leaders today to help break ground at the site of the future Green Valley Ranch preschool-through-twelfth grade campus, the first new DPS high school facility in 30 years. The project, funded with the passage of last year's bond referendum, is expected to be completed in time for the 2010-2011 school year and will serve Northeast Denver-one of the fastest-growing parts of the city. This is the only new-school construction that will be funded by bond money; roughly 90 percent of the total bond funds will be invested in updating, renovating, and adding technology at existing schools.

"This is a historic day for Denver Public Schools and the families we serve in the far northeast area of Denver," stated Benita Duran, DPS director of bond program outreach. "Today marks the beginning of the construction of a state-of-the-art educational facility, designed to meet the growing needs of the district, serving residents of the present and of future generations."

The 35-acre campus will be located on Green Valley Ranch Boulevard, between Peña Boulevard and Tower Road. The Green Valley Ranch E-12 campus will be home to a preschool-through-fifth grade academy and a six-through-twelfth grade high school academy. The new campus will also house a new student union with all shared public spaces and regional sports complex amenities, creating a college-style feel to the 1,200 student campus as part of the first phase of construction. The total project budget is $47,238,000. 

"The future Green Valley Ranch campus provides a unique opportunity to change the way we think about teaching and learning spaces," stated Superintendent Tom Boasberg. "Through intentional design, DPS will be at the forefront as Colorado maps its future as a leader in education reform and in the integration of green technologies into emerging teaching and learning environments."

"Green" design, 21st century facility

The design of Green Valley Ranch E-12 campus will allow for a variety of learning environments. Interior spaces are intended to be adaptable for different learning approaches without significant expense.

The campus will also offer a facility and set of educational programs that provide "lean and green" opportunities for the growth of both students and staff in an environment that enriches their lives beyond just their academic and professional needs. In collaboration with the Governor's Energy Office and other sustainability leaders, the new campus will integrate some of the latest environmental systems to reduce the need for energy and other natural resources. When it opens in August 2010, the facility will incorporate a range of highly sustainable energy and utility reducing features, making it one of the most efficient school facilities in the entire State of Colorado. 

For more information contact Benita Durán, DPS director of bond program outreach, at 303-350-6963. For media inquiries contact the DPS Communications Office at 720-423-3414.

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