Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Nederland. I have been writing about the Boulder Valley School District Bond Construction Project at Nederland schools for a year now. It is exciting to say that the multi-million dollar project is in the final stages. 

Nederland Middle-Senior High School, Nederland Elementary and the Bus Barn have all received updates and renovations. Some of the updates are obvious and some are behind the scenes. It is simply wonderful to walk into the three buildings and see what has transpired over the summer months. 

Let’s start where our kids start their school careers, the elementary school. You do not even have to get out of your car to see something amazing when you drive up. Bright blue sails that help shade a new play structure on the Pre-K - Kindergarten playground immediately catches your eye. The youngest students will have a sandbox, new play structure, a playhouse, a colorful rubberized surface, and swings that all students can use. 

When you walk to the other playgrounds the first thing you will probably say is, “Wow!” The changes are incredible! One of the highest priorities at the elementary school was creating an accessible route to the playgrounds for ALL students. This has been accomplished. Care was taken to make it work in the space and for it to be aesthetically pleasing. 

The primary and upper grades also have colorful rubberized surfaces on their playgrounds. They can play Ga-Ga ball, tetherball, basketball, swing, play on the play structures, climb on the rocks or sit in the shade of the aspen trees. As I toured the playground with BVSD Project Manager, John Sinnett, his excitement was undeniable. He said several times, “I can’t wait for the kids to see this!”

When you enter Nederland Elementary you will immediately notice changes. A wall has been moved to provide a secured entrance, which is a BVSD Bond requirement. In the front office walls have been moved and more windows put in. There are new bathrooms in the front of the school and in the health room. 

All the skylights have been replaced. The entryway and the Kiva are much brighter with more natural light. All classrooms have been painted, carpeted and have new furniture. The kitchen has all new stainless steel appliances as well as a built in refrigerator and freezer. To replace a single sink the lunch room has a wonderful new stainless steel washing station for the kids to use. 

Another big change is the preschool area. Caribou Mountain Preschool now has two classrooms with two bathrooms in each room. It is unrecognizable from even a few months ago. 

The gymnasium has been painted and a traverse/climbing wall will be added soon. New lighting and flooring have been replaced throughout the building. 

Those not so obvious changes are the new air handling units, water heaters and water pumps. The maintenance equipment was sorely needed. The elementary school had ten boilers and now because of new technology and efficiency there are two new boilers that will do the job better. The elementary school also has a new roof. 

Principal Laurel Reckert says, “We are thrilled by the updates in our building and we think the students will be equally excited. Not only does the school feel lighter, more open and clean, but the learning spaces are more student friendly and the playgrounds and play spaces are exceptionally designed for students and to fit our outdoor space.”

At Nederland Middle-High School changes are obvious when you walk through the front doors. A wall has been taken down and it has opened up the cafeteria and stair area. 

The kitchen has been completely renovated with all new stainless steel appliances, a walk-in freezer and refrigerator. The library has new windows and has an open and flexible concept. The areas where students study art, robotics, industrial arts and consumer-family studies is all new. The Special Education area has been remodeled as well. There is new furniture, lighting, doors, flooring and paint through the school. 

The middle school gym has new bleachers and an extensive climbing wall will be installed very soon. The weight/conditioning room has been redone and new equipment has been added. 

Two of the biggest projects at the middle-high school were the asbestos abatement and completely renovating some of the bathrooms. These two projects were absolutely necessary. 

This school also went through infrastructure changes. Wiring was pulled out and new wiring put in. There are now new boilers, water heaters, water pumps, HVAC…the list goes on and on. The parking lot has been repaired with the intent to improve drainage. A new roof will be installed in the spring. 

Both schools were challenging in different ways. FCI Constructors has done a fantastic job overcoming the challenges. John Sinnett says, “FCI has so much knowledge and experience with schools. They have gone above and beyond to make this happen. They hit the mark on cost, delivery and flexibility. They have been extremely professional.”

Sinnett also has been very satisfied with the subcontractors that worked on the project. Sinnett gives an enormous amount of credit to the school administrators, teachers and students. “We disrupted their lives and we had great cooperation. None of this would have happened without their support.”

“We got the schools at a good place to be maintained and sustained for a long period of time,” says Project Manager John Sinnett. 

The Bus Barn also received some much needed attention from the BVSD Bond Construction Project. The Bus Barn is not given much thought to most, but it is vitally important to our kids and to the success of our schools. 

The two unsung heroes of the Bus Barn are mechanics Jim Yzquierdo and Bob Brengosz. Yzquierdo has been a BVSD mechanic for 31 years. He has been in Nederland for 27 years. Brengosz has been with the district for 11 years and in Nederland for 9.5 years. These two men work a lot of hours inspecting and maintaining our buses that must perform on mountain roads and in winter weather. 

Nederland bus routes cover an enormous amount of territory from Mid-Gilpin County to Wondervu to Ward to Eldora down Sugarloaf and down Magnolia. The mechanics, temporary dispatcher Monte Miles and all the drivers make sure our kids safely arrive at their destinations every day. On a side note, they are always looking for new drivers. The position has great pay and full benefits. 

An additional service bay has been added to the existing bus barn. This will allow the mechanics to pull a bus in for a quick fix and be out of the winter weather. It provides more storage, as well. Yzquierdo and Brengosz maintain 28 busses and the additional space was needed. 

New lighting has been installed by local electrician Tim Plumb with Peak to Peak Electric. The mechanics are pleased with the new site lights. They may not have to do so many repairs with a flashlight in the early morning hours anymore. 

A huge amount of gratitude goes to BVSD voters for approving the Bond Construction Projects. Heartfelt thanks goes to BVSD Project Manager John Sinnett and all the other BVSD employees who made the project a reality in Nederland. A special thanks to RTA Architects for their well thought out designs. Also much gratitude to Grant Frevent, FCI Field Superintendent at the elementary school, Dean Cinocco, FCI Field Superintendent at the middle-high school, Spencer Ford, FCI Field Superintendent at the bus barn and all the workers and subcontractors that spent 10 -12 hour days on site to give our schools and community something to be really proud of. 

These projects have been a huge success and we can’t wait for the kids to see it. 

(Originally published in the August 15, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)