Boulder District May Build New High School

A Boulder Valley School District working group is expected to meet several times early next year with the goal of deciding whether to build a new high school or upgrade an existing one.

District officials have long expressed concerns about the New Vista High School located at 700 20th Street.

The 78,000 square foot structure was built in 1952 and through the decades has been added onto at least nine times.

According to district documents, the building is plagued with a number of structural issues including cracked walls and foundations, as well as some water leakage.

The structure is also not entirely Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.

A report released this fall by the district’s school board additionally noted that the building’s auditorium lacks proper lighting and acoustics and has experienced repeated HVAC system failures.

That same report indicated that it will probably cost upwards of $50 million to maintain the structure.

At the same time, it is thought that construction of a new school building would come with a price tag of around $40 million.

Because the current New Vista High School has a capacity of around 600 students but currently serves only half that number, thought has been given to building a smaller replacement facility.
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The working group, which will be partly made up of school officials, parents and neighbors, is expected to meet twice in January before delivering its recommendations to the school board in March.

By Garry Boulard

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