Colorado District Completes District-Wide Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/13/22

The Yuma School District in northeast Colorado recently announced that it has finished a district-wide renovation project that provides modernized facilities for both expanded programming and upgraded security. The district partnered with design-build firm The Neenan Company to upgrade 85,000 square feet of space at its high-school and PreK–8 facilities to benefit the district’s 900 students.

At Yuma High School, projects included upgrades to about 42,480 square feet of the facility; building a new, 18,605-square-foot wing to expand academic programing; and adding a 12,465-square-foot auxiliary gym. A news release says that the project broke ground in June 2020 and that the school facilities now feature a more easily identifiable main entrance and administrative area, as well as a revamped electronic security system throughout campus.

The high school’s new wing will play home to STEM programs and the Career Technical Education (CTE) program. Amenities include a maker’s space for the school robotics club, a technology resource room, space for agriculture science and metal/woodworking classes and flexible space for future additions to the school curriculum. All classrooms also saw updates to HVAC and electrical systems, and many classrooms were moved to exterior walls to maximize natural light. Finally, the high school also saw design improvements to its commons area, cafeteria, library, practice and physical education gymnasium, and weight room.

The district’s second project involved renovations to its PreK–8 facility. In addition to safety upgrades and a new bus loop, the school saw remodels to about 11,000 square feet of classrooms and a new warming kitchen.

“Seeing our vision come to life is rewarding beyond words. Every single student in our district, plus those in the decades to come, will benefit from this project,” said Dianna Chrisman, Yuma School District superintendent. “We began coordinating with The Neenan Company in 2018 to begin our master planning and the efforts behind our successful bond campaign. Our teams have partnered to pour years of thoughtful planning into this project, and we are eager to celebrate this worthwhile journey with our community.”

According to a news release, the project was Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS) certified. It was funded by a voter-passed bond measure and by the State of Colorado’s BEST Grant Program, which the district was selected to receive in 2019.

“This project reflects the core of what we aim to achieve with Neenan’s education-focused design-build expertise: delivering schools that give educators and students a foundation to thrive,” said The Neenan Company senior architect David Kurtz. “With the efficiencies generated from our design-build process, we were able to expand the project’s scope and ultimately deliver greater value to Yuma School District, all amid the challenging demands placed on both education and project job sites throughout the past two years.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.

  • Uvalde Schools Receive AI Security Technology through Grant Program

    AI-powered gun detection and emergency response technology solutions provider Omnilert recently launched the Save Haven Grant program, according to a news release. The first recipient of the grant, aimed specifically at schools that have faced gun violence, will be the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (Uvalde CISD) in Uvalde, Texas.

  • Tennessee State University Gains Approval for New Engineering Facility

    Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., recently announced that it has received approval from the Tennessee State Building Commission to build a new engineering building on campus, according to a university news release. The 70,000-square-foot, $50-million facility will play home to the university’s engineering programs and the Applied & Industrial Technology program.

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.