The first meeting of the Greeley-Evans School District 6 Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee was held virtually on April 23, 2020 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The committee was appointed in March after an application process. Committee members were selected by members of the Superintendent’s Leadership Advisory Board, composed of members of the Greeley and Evans business community. Sixteen members were selected, including residents of Greeley and Evans, parents of current District 6 students, District 6 staff members, charter school representatives, members of the business community, people who served on the District 6 Facility Master Planning Committee and retirees.

The purpose of the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee is to provide an independent review of Bond Program projects, to monitor and review all projects, to provide a high level of accountability and communication to the citizens of Greeley and Evans about the projects and budgets, and to make recommendations on adjustments that may be needed as the program progresses.

At its first meeting Thursday, members of the committee reviewed all the current bond projects, including the construction of a new Greeley West High School, the new addition and renovation of S. Crista McAuliffe STEM Academy K-8, safe and secure entrances and other upgrades at Jackson and Billie Martinez elementary school, construction of a new K-8 school and other projects that will come online later this year. Members were able to ask questions and give feedback during the virtual meeting.

For more information on all bond projects, visit www.greeleyschools.org/bond.

The Citizens Bond Oversight Committee is scheduled to meet quarterly for the duration of the bond projects and will receive regular written updates as well.

Members of the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee

• Jill Barnes of Greeley is the principal of Shawsheen Elementary School and a parent of a District 6 student. 

• Bruce Broderius of Greeley is a retired University of Northern educator and former Board of Education President.

• Steve Bytnar of Greeley, has grown children who were educated in District 6 and works for Envirotech.

• Jediah Cummins of Greeley is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado and currently works for that institution in Housing Facilities.

• Kristi Dunbar of Evans, works at Chappelow Arts Magnet K-8 and has a child attending Greeley West High School. She is also the president of the District 6 Classified Council.

• Branden Hayes of Evans is the parent of an incoming kindergarten student and a younger child, both of whom will attend District 6 schools.

• Jon Helwick of Greeley is a retired District 6 teacher and administrator.

• Chris Leffler of Greeley is a graduate of District 6 and has a son attending S. Christa McAuliffe STEM Academy. He works as a commercial loan officer for the Bank of Colorado.

• Bradley Luebke of Greeley has two daughters who attend Union Colony Schools and he serves as a School Resource Officer for the Greeley Police Department, working with District 6 schools.

• Ethan Miles of Greeley is a graduate of District 6 with two children attending University Schools. He also sits on the Board of Governors for University Schools.

• Jesse Quinby of Greeley, is the father of two District 6 graduates and is a former Board of Education member. He is retired.

• Daniel Reyez of Greeley, is the father of two District 6 graduates and a retired U.S. Postal Service worker. He and was a member of the Facility Master Planning Committee

• Deborah Sergesketter of Greeley worked for Hensel-Phelps Construction Company and is now retired.

• Stacy Suniga of Greeley is a District 6 graduate and mother of District 6 graduates. She is a former Greeley City Council member and works for the Boulder Valley School District.

• Kimberlee Tiba of Evans is the parent of  six children attending District 6 schools. She, works in a neurology office in Fort Collins.

• Mark Wallace of Greeley is the executive director of the Weld County Department of Health and Environment, a District 6 graduate, father of District 6 graduates and former Board of Education member.

Greeley-Evans School District 6 is seeking residents of the school district to serve on a Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee that will help monitor expenditures and projects associated with the bond issue approved by voters in November 2019.

The purpose of the committee is to provide a high level of accountability and communication on behalf of the Board of Education to the citizens of Greeley-Evans School District 6.

The responsibilities of the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee shall be to:

• Monitor the activities and expenditures of funds authorized by the election and ensure these funds are being used in accordance with the November 5, 2019, ballot language.
• Provide recommendations and feedback as appropriate to the superintendent, staff and Board of Education.
• Receive regular reports regarding the expenditure of bond funds.
• Provide quarterly and annual reports to the Board of Education at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. This responsibility shall continue through the completion of all projects, culminating with a final summary report to the board.

The Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee is composed of voluntary, representative members of the Greeley-Evans School District 6 community. The committee's membership should reflect the diversity of the Greeley-Evans School District 6 community. Members will be selected based upon the following membership parameters:

• Four District 6 parents; one with a child in an elementary, one with a child in a K-8, one with a child in a middle school and one with a child in a high school. At least one parent must reside in and have a child attend school in Evans.
• Three current District 6 staff members: one principal, one teacher, and one classified staff member.
• One representative from a charter school.
• Three members of the Facility Master Planning Committee.
• Four community members representing these groups: one senior/retiree, one member of the Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals, one business owner/CEO and one general community member who does not currently have children in District 6.

Tentative meeting times for 2020-21 will be from 5:30-7:30 pm on these dates:  April 23, 2020, September 24, 2020, January 28, 2021 and April 22, 2021. Regular attendance at these meetings is required.  The location of the meetings will be determined at a later date.

The committee membership will be selected by an independent group of community members who are not employees of District 6.   

To apply for membership on the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, click on this link, https://forms.gle/DojbSGJ7iiAG8XfG7, or visit the front desk at the District 6 Administration Building, 1025 9^th Avenue in Greeley to obtain a printed application. All applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. Friday, February 21 either electronically or in person to the Office of the Superintendent, District 6 Administration Building, 1025 9^th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631.

Greeley-Evans School District 6 has selected Adolfson and Peterson Construction as the general contractor for building the new Greeley West High School, pending the approval of the Board of Education in January.

The architectural firm working on the design of the new school and site is Hord Coplan Macht of Denver. Contractors and architects were asked to bid as design/build teams for the design and construction of Greeley West. Six contractor/architect teams submitted bids for the Greeley West project. Three teams were interviewed.
 

“We are confident in the team Adolfson and Peterson Construction and Hord Coplan Macht has put together for Greeley West High School,” said Superintendent Dr. Deirdre Pilch. “We have talked to other organizations and school districts who have worked with these two firms, and they have received great reviews. Their bid was within our budget and we are excited to get this project started.”

The total contract amount has yet to be determined and will be based on the site and building design.  The proposal fell within projected budget of $107-$112 million. The capacity of Greeley West will be increased from 1,000 to 1,800 with the new building.

Construction on the site could begin early this spring, with a projected completion date of August 2022. The new school will be constructed on the Greeley West site while students continue to attend the existing school.  A significant component of the design/build team’s presentation centered around the safety of students while on an occupied campus.  Adolfson and Peterson has extensive experience with this type of construction project, most recently completing the University of Northern Colorado Commons.  Adolfson and Peterson is a family-owned company that is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has a regional office in Denver that will be managing the Greeley West project.

Greeley West High School is the first large project to be funded through the successful 2019 bond issue. District 6 voters approved the $395 million bond issue by a margin of 52.6 percent for (12,919 votes) to 47.4 percent against (11,642 votes).

A Greeley West Design Advisory Group - composed of Greeley West staff, students, parents and community members - will begin meeting in January to provide input into the design of the school

District 6 has also selected RLH Engineers as the owner’s representative that will serve as the project manager for the construction projects that will be funded through the November 2019 bond issue. The Board of Education approved the contract for RLH Engineers at its Monday, December 9 meeting.

Bids for other projects will be requested in the coming months. The next projected slated for construction is the expansion of McAuliffe STEM Academy K-8 and Chappelow K-8 Arts Magnet.

District 6 will also begin accepting applications for a Bond Oversight Committee in January. Additional communication will be sent out when the application process for that committee is open.

Greeley-Evans School District 6 celebrated a victory at Tuesday night in the $395 million bond measure 4C, as the yes vote eventually won with a 54.54% vote.

“We knew it was a big lift, and we are so appreciative of our voters and our community for stepping up,” said a confident District 6 superintendent Deirdre Pilch Tuesday night.

The bond measure will raise money to pay for a full teardown and rebuild of Greeley West High School and Madison Elementary, the construction of a new K-8 school and significant expansion to S. Christa McAuliffe K-8, among other major renovations and improvements.

“We are so thrilled and relieved,” Pilch said. “We know this is heavy in Weld County, we get it. We get we are in a tax-adverse community, and we have a lot to prove to our voters, so to see those numbers come in was a tremendous relief. We are so appreciative and grateful and really happy for the kids in District 6. This is about students.”

The requested number of $395 million came after an independent assessment returned $1 billion in capital improvements, renovations and reconstruction needs. The number was winnowed down to what was requested by a Facility Master Planning Committee after several months of discussion.

The bond measure is the district’s first request of any substantial amount in almost 20 years, and by far the largest ever requested by District 6.

It is notably different from the mill levy override, which was approved in 2017. While both collect funds through property taxes, the mill levy override can only be spent on personnel, curriculum and other inside-the-classroom expenditures. Bonds are required for significant building projects.

Photo courtesy of the Greeley Tribune: Alex McIntyre

Cuyler Meade is the public money reporter at the Greeley Tribune. Reach him at 970-392-4487 or cmeade@greeleytribune.com, or follow him on Twitter @CuylerMeade.