Great news for La Plata County! Durango School District 9-R Ballot Issue 4A has passed “by a large margin,” according to results from The Durango Herald as of 10:04 p.m. on Nov. 5. The Herald’s Election Results chart showed 60.9% of people voted yes, and 39.0% voted no.

This bond will bring much-needed improvements to our schools, enhancing facilities, safety, and learning environments for all students. Thank you to our community for your support and commitment to quality education. We’re excited to move forward together!

Durango School District 9-R is an innovative educational system committed to excellence. The district ensures that each student develops the skills and attributes for lifelong learning and has the ability to compete and contribute in the global community by guaranteeing equitable educational opportunities in a safe and healthy environment.

As the district focuses on providing the optimal learning environment that is safe, modernized for today’s student needs, and geared toward our Portrait-of-a-Graduate vision, input from community stakeholders is vital. The 9-R Board of Education has convened the Long-Range Planning Committee to review facilities and plan for future renovations and new constructions.

This committee, which includes district employees, community members, and business representatives, has met for over a year to identify priorities and guide the district on critical issues.

The district is focusing on addressing aging facilities and the community's identified needs for learning outcomes. While the Long-Range Planning Committee identified nearly $250 million in needs, the district is using a phased approach to begin addressing these needs. On August 27, a $150 million bond measure was referred to the November ballot, and voters will be asked to address funding priorities this November, which increase taxes around $14 per month for a home valued at $500,000.

The average building age in the school district is 43 years old, and the district has deferred maintenance to address in these aging facilities. Maintenance needs and background include:

• Electrical, mechanical, roofing, plumbing, and safety upgrades for nearly all buildings.
• Updated mechanical and safety systems for some buildings.
• A sustainability/energy project, including LED lighting, solar arrays, water waste reduction, and new insulation, to cut costs.
• A facility condition report from October 2023 found 6 out of 10 facilities below average, mainly due to aging building systems such as electrical, mechanical, roofing, plumbing, and safety upgrades.

The district has identified specific needs to support student and teacher success. These investments would include:

• The district proposes building the SOIL Inspire Center to support Career Connected Learning, featuring a workshop, commercial and demonstration kitchen, and indoor growing facilities.
• Replace classroom equipment and furniture that is over 20 years old to improve the learning environment for students and teachers.
• To retain teachers and maintain educational excellence, the district is considering building employee housing, or partnering with others to create some priority options for staff, due to the significant rise in housing costs in Durango.
• Consolidate building space, reduce or eliminate several leased facilities, and invest in long-term solutions to reduce long term costs.
• Build Three Springs Elementary School to serve an area of high growth better and replace the aging Florida Mesa Elementary campus.