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Nearly 100 people participated in Thursday night’s informational meeting in Beaver Creek related to the proposed $29 million Hills-Beaver Creek School District bond referendum vote on April 11.
They listened to information about plans to build a new elementary school near the golf course in Beaver Creek, and they toured the elementary building for an up-close look at why a new school is needed.
At the end of the evening, Superintendent Todd Holthaus said he felt it was a productive evening.
“People had good questions,” he said. “They were trying to understand the project and the process.”
Representatives from the school district, project architects, construction managers and the district’s financial advisers were available to answer questions.
Several questions were from citizens concerned about the district’s financial health and if it could afford a new school.
Some concern stemmed from the H-BC 2011 bond and later statutory operating debt that required another operating referendum.
“That’s fair,” Holthaus said, assuring the audience that the district is now fiscally healthy.
“The district has a healthy reserve, and we’ve had clean audits by outside agencies. … In short, the district is in good financial state, and our construction fund will not be comingled with our operating fund.”
Some wanted to know if the cost estimates factored in site work to prevent cost overruns. The answer is that construction costs include these possibilities.
Others asked whether inflation and rising interest rates and availability of building materials would affect the project.
Project managers responded that they used past experience, historical costs and current trends to anticipate those costs.
For example, a 5-percent inflationary rise is factored into the bond amount, and the construction project will be managed to meet the budget.
Proposal anticipates decline in student enrollment
The review by the state indicates a decline in student enrollment of 8 to 13 percent annually, beginning with the 2025-26 school year.
If enrollment continues to decline and class sizes drop significantly below 20 students per grade, the district will likely face operational cost deficits prior to paying off the proposed bond issue, which expires in 2046.
The district expects to reduce some operational costs because the new building will be more energy-efficient.
The enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year at H-BC for kindergarten through 12th grade is 344 students.
Location of new elementary school would be next to golf course
The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board signed a purchase agreement to buy almost 15 acres as the site for a new elementary school in Beaver Creek.
The agreement with Spring Brooke LLC is for 14.45 acres located in the Spring Brook Addition.
Purchase price is $377,665, and the agreement is contingent on a successful bond referendum vote on Tuesday, April 11.
The property is west of the SpringBrooke Events, Golf & Grill along Golf Course Lane in Beaver Creek.
Construction would take place in 2024 and 2025.
Voters will be asked two questions on April 11:
•Question 1: Authorize the H-BC School District to build a new elementary school for grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade for $26.5 million.
•Question 2: Authorize the H-BC School District to make upgrades and an expanded parking area at the Hugo Goehle gymnasium site, demolish the former high school on East Second in Hills, and construct a new parking area at the current secondary school, also in Hills. Cost is $3.475 million.
Question 2 cannot pass without voters agreeing to Question 1.
Information was mailed and is available online
An informational brochure was mailed to district residents explaining the projects involved in the bond referendum and where and how residents can vote.
A copy is available online at www.hbcpatriots.com under the “2023 Referendum” tab.
An impact calculator is also available for residents to gauge how the referendum may affect various property classifications.
Generally, taxes on a $150,000 home would increase $324 per year if both referendum questions pass.
Thursday’s meeting was the first of two hosted by the district.
The second was Tuesday night at the secondary school in Hills after the Star Herald had gone to press. That information will be covered online and in the April 6 print edition.