Amazon is coming. Raytheon and the Tech Park are expanding. Home development is booming. The Vail area is growing. In response to that growth, the VUSD Governing Board has called for a $61.3 million bond election.
High schools in the Vail School District are currently over capacity. K-8 schools are close to capacity. Growth is continuing. Projections indicate that Vail schools will be 2,400 students over capacity within the next five years.
The bond package that the Governing Board approved on Tuesday evening includes funding for a new high school and a new K-8 school. It also includes funding for technology, health and safety items, and transportation needs.
A 45-member Bond Committee, made up of community members, parents, and staff, met for six months to research district needs and develop a list of possible bond projects. The group’s initial list of important capital needs included over $98.9 million in projects.
The Bond Committee studied each project, and gathered input from the District’s 20 school site councils, as well as community leaders. The committee prioritized the list and submitted their recommendation to the Vail Governing Board. After further review and study, the Board approved the $61.3 million package — about $38 million smaller than the original list.
Calvin Baker, Superintendent of the Vail Unified School District stated, “Growth is standard procedure in Vail. I am greatly appreciative of the fact that for over 20 years, the community has supported bond requests and held us accountable for the expenditures.”
Click here for a PDF version of Bond Projects and here for the Bond Project Descriptions.
The cost of this bond package is estimated to be $6.20 per month for each $100,000 of home value in Vail. The Bond Election will be held on November 6, 2018.