colorado school district preparing for growth, hopes for construction bond

In a section of southern Fort Collin, where new subdivisions and houses seem to be going up everywhere, officials with the Thompson School District are wondering how to respond to a corresponding uptick in enrollment.
The district now has more than 16,300 students, but could well see a double-digit growth in the next decade if current population projections are on target.
In response, the district, with 33 individual schools, is asking voters on November 6 to approve a $149 million bond designed to pay for a series of facility heating and cooling updates, as well as exterior building improvements
According to the pro-bond group Vote Yes for Thompson Schools, the facility upgrade issues, if not addressed, will soon “compromise the learning environment of our students.”
The district’s growth challenge is particularly seen in the proposed construction of a new K-8 elementary school, as well as additions to two existing elementary schools in the town of Berthoud.
That town has seen more than 1,500 people move inside its borders in the last four years, for a total current population of around 6,400.
Although the growth issues have been widely discussed in the district, officials are nevertheless worried about the election prospects for the bond. In 2016, district residents rejected a larger $288 million bond for school upgrades in a 56 to 44 percent vote.

By Garry Boulard

---