Dear Ridgway Community,

I am excited to share information about our school district Facility Master Plan here on our digital open house. Please respond to the survey by 9pm on Sunday November 29th. Please visit the following 3 links in order: 1. Planning Process Overview, 2. Preferred Alternatives, and 3. Path Forward (w/ survey for input).

Since last January, our shared stakeholder Planning Advisory Team (PAT) has worked hard with RTA Architects, our master planning consultants, and our school board to develop a master plan to meet district facility needs for the next twenty years. While the current pandemic has placed constraints on the master planning process, the greater needs of our community’s children cannot be placed on hold. Therefore we reach out to you virtually this fall to move our master plan forward and help us make decisions for our school district’s future.

The Ridgway Elementary School was built in 1972 and remains almost completely unchanged since it was originally constructed. The district has been very conservative with respect to facility spending however, it is time to take action to renovate and build some modest additions to both improve the safety and security of the Ridgway Elementary School facility and redesign learning spaces to enhance 21st-century academic learning. Our elementary students and their teachers deserve a building of the same quality built for the secondary students in 2006.

An elementary facility renovation would fix leaking roofs, build a fire sprinkler system, replace faulty boilers, remove asbestos, update the building to current code, update electrical service and PA system to meet 21st-century safety needs, improve the HVAC system for better air quality, create a connecting hallway from the main building to the Preschool Building, update ADA accessibility, improve traffic flow for drop off and pick up, redesign administrative office for better-integrated supervision and replace single-pane windows and interior fixtures and finishes.

Young learners need to be able to move about and work both individually and as a member of a team to solve authentic problems, build and create. In order to do this, young people need enlarge learning spaces with shared collaborative learning areas. Likewise, our special needs students, our mental health counseling program, and our other support services need dedicated learning spaces. If there is one thing that COVID-19 has also taught us, a clear integration between outdoor learning spaces and the inside is also important. All of these improvements have been taken into consideration in the schematic plans presented on this website.

The Planning Advisory Team explored new construction as well as renovation. After many meetings and cost analysis, the PAT concluded that the schematic potential of E.2.2 would meet the needs of our elementary community for the next 20 years. The high costs and challenges of new construction did not seem a wise allocation of taxpayer money however we share those more expensive designs with you on this website to provide perspective.

Our current bonds that sunset in 2023, can provide $10-11 million for future district capital construction. We need our Ridgway community to approve to continue those bonds. The district plans to apply for a state-funded BEST grant, which would provide 44% of capital construction funding, and allow us to further leverage our tax dollars and also fund some smaller secondary school improvements without raising taxes. Our survey will ask participants to select elementary renovation design options and prioritize secondary school improvements.

Take our survey at the end of your visit and provide valuable community input. Supporting your local school district financially raises your property values and improves our quality of life as a community. Our children are Ridgway’s future. We must support their learning now. Thank you for your time and your feedback. Please pass the link to this website forward to your neighbors and friends within the Ridgway School District. The more community voices the better.

Thank you for your participation,

Susan Lacy, Ridgway School District Superintendent

Elementary School
Address: 1115 Clinton St, Ridgway, CO 81432
Construction Date: 1972
Size: 64,700 SF
Additions: 1995

The Ridgway Elementary School is located on the western side of the Town of Ridgway. It houses kindergarten to fifth grades. The southern portion of the building is a single-story pre-engineered metal structure built in 1972. The northern portion of the building is conventional commercial construction consisting of masonry and steel and was built in 1996. There is a separate single-story light wood framed building adjacent to the south containing preschool classes. This smaller building was built in 2001.  An adjacent district maintenance shop consisting of a pre-engineered metal building lies to the west of the elementary school building. 

The existing elementary school building has reached a critical point in its lifespan. Deferred maintenance needs have accumulated at an unsustainable rate and many of those needs have reached an urgent status. The roof is nearing failure, the existing HVAC system is a constant drain on finances and manpower, the doors and windows are poorly insulated, and the plumbing services cannot be relied upon for long term operation. This building contains significant amounts of asbestos primarily in flooring material.  

Secondary School
Address: 1200 Green St, Ridgway, CO 81432
Construction Date: 2005
Size: 61,800 SF
Additions: 2009

The Ridgway Secondary School sits on the north side of the Town of Ridgway. The building consists of both single and two-story areas including a gymnasium with a lower level to the west. The original building was constructed in 2005 and an addition to the western side occurred in 2010.

The existing secondary school building is much newer than the elementary school and, as such, the building has far fewer urgent maintenance needs. However, the secondary school does have several needs: upgraded athletic facilities, auditorium improvements to enhance the performing arts, as well as miscellaneous enhancements such as carpet replacement and roof replacement were identified as needs in the near future.