Public invited to get an update on PSD’s new middle/high schools

Madeline Noblett, Executive Director of Communications

Members of the community are invited to get an update on PSD’s new middle/high schools, to be built in Wellington and at the Prospect Site, east of Interstate-25. The informational sessions are open to the public. PSD leadership will kick off the sessions with information about the overarching vision for each of the schools that will ultimately serve students in grades 6 through 12 and are projected to open in fall 2022.

Attendees will have an opportunity to observe and give feedback on conceptual designs created by RB+B Architects, a firm contracted by PSD and specializing in school design. The draft designs of the future schools have been developed with input from a cross-curricular Design Advisory Group (DAG), comprised of PSD staff who have visited exemplar school sites nationwide to study current best practices in school design. The school designs are anchored in the core principles of sustainability, flexibility, and providing a modern student experience for all learners.

These public input sessions will not focus on specifics about the school site, including road access or other public utilities. All of PSD’s future projects will go through formal development-review processes within the cities and towns in which they’re located.

Schedule of Info Sessions by Site

Future school location: New Prospect Site middle/high school, to be constructed east of I-25 on Prospect Road/County Road 5 (land currently owned by PSD)

Date: Monday, Nov. 26

Input session location: Fossil Ridge High School, 5400 Ziegler Road, Fort Collins

Times: 6-6:30 p.m. Presentation from PSD leadership in the Roundhouse

6:30-8 p.m. Open House with RB+B Architects in the Commons (drop-in any time)

Future school location: New Wellington middle/high school, to be constructed west of I-25, off Colorado Highway 1

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 28

Input session location: Wellington Middle School, 4001 Wilson Ave., Wellington

Times: 5-5:30 p.m. Presentation from PSD leadership

5:30-7 p.m. Open House with RB+B Architects (drop-in any time)

The Design Advisory Group, as well as business and community partners, continue to provide ongoing input on the future construction of the two new campuses that are part of PSD’s long-range plan. Thanks to the support of voters, PSD secured $375 million in bond funding approved by voters in the November 2016 election. The money will support construction of three new schools, a district athletics complex at the Prospect Site, a transportation facility, an addition to Zach Elementary, and $40 million in ongoing facilities improvements at all existing PSD schools. Get answers to frequently-asked questions at bit.ly/PSDlongrangeplan.

PSD anticipates opening the new Wellington-area middle/high school with grades 6 through 10. Eleventh grade will be added in 2023, and 12th grade in 2024. Since the new Wellington-area 6-12 school will replace the existing Wellington Middle School, the entire middle school (grades 6-8) will move to the new building when it is projected to open in 2022.

PSD is planning to open the new Prospect site middle/high school with grades 6-10. Eleventh grade will be added in 2023, and 12th grade will be added in 2024. If grandfathering is offered when the new Prospect school opens, eighth graders currently attending Preston and Lesher middle schools as their neighborhood school but who live within the new school boundaries will likely be given the option to remain at Preston for their eighth-grade year. They would then transition to the new school for ninth grade. A determination about the availability of grandfathering options will be made closer to the open date of the new schools.