BLACK HAWK - Those who travel on Highway 119 north of Black Hawk will be happy to know that the sewer line connecting Gilpin County School to the City of Black Hawk’s system is expected to be completed in December of 2025, instead of sometime in 2026.

Gilpin Superintendent Dr. David MacKenzie informed the Board of Education (BOE) that, although not all has gone smoothly, the $8 million+ project is ahead of schedule.

In the near future, the project will move “up the road” to the Paradise Valley area. The current contractor, ESCO, out of Evergreen, is trying to arrange a community meeting with the Paradise Valley Homeowners Association to inform those residents of what to expect in the near future. 

MacKenzie does not expect there to be significant disruption for Paradise Valley residents.

He further informed the BOE that Baseline Engineering, out of Colorado Springs, originally contracted to design the project, failed to include the final details of the construction in their plans, despite several requests to do so. 

The district is no longer contracted with Baseline Engineering, in part due to that lack of  submitting plans for the entire project. Denver-based Santec Corporation has been hired to design the end stages of the project, including the leach field and the decommissioning of the current system. 

In other matters, MacKenzie noted that the lock-down buttons installed throughout the school should be operational in a few weeks.

In addition, the 2023 audit has been completed and that for 2024 is close to being done. The 2025 audit needs to be completed by December or the district will miss out on partial state funding. MacKenzie says the audits will be completed in a timely manner going forward.

Board President Sarah Swanson announced that there are six candidates for the November school board election.

Running for the two-year terms are current BOE member Jill Peterson and Gary Duncan. Those vying for four-year terms are current BOE member Kirsten Goodlett; Victoria Edwards, who ran in 2023; and Brady Fowler. 

The Student Council will host a candidate forum on October 1. Students will moderate and ask questions of the candidates. The time and exact location of the forum has not been set.

Swanson also reported that the 14th Annual Gilpin County Educational Foundation Golf Classic, held on August 23, was a great success, raising approximately $15,000. 

Money from the tournament goes to provide scholarships, field trips, and funding for educational activities in Gilpin County. The Foundation also provides partial tuition for three-year-olds who are deemed to be at risk.

 In other matters:

 ·       Funding for Preschool four-year olds coming from the state has been increased from $5,000 to $10,000 per student, which will assist with salaries and supplies.

·       A new program teaching credit recovery for high school students is being piloted. 

·       While the school participates in the free lunch program, it is vital for parents to complete the paperwork for free lunch so the school can receive appropriate funding from the state.

·       Evaluations for all staff will be reviewed and there may be revisions provided by the state.

The next BOE meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Gilpin County School Board Room, 10595 Highway 119, Black Hawk. Meetings are recorded and are accessible by livestream and YouTube.