Technology  October 14, 2005

Charter school organizers set construction timetable

LOVELAND – New Vision Charter School is still in its formative stages, but it’s plain to see the school will have a one-of-a-kind outlook on education in the Thompson School District.

The public school, which plans to open in the fall of 2006, is planning a 51,000-square-foot building to share with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Loveland.

Jon Moreng, a consultant helping with New Vision’s construction process, said plans call for the building to develop in two stages. The school itself will be built in 2006, and the Boys & Girls Clubs in 2007. The two buildings will stand side by side, linked by a corridor.

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The first phase of construction is the 25,000-square-foot, two-story school, which will break ground in January. Completion is scheduled for next August, when the school will open its doors to students in grades kindergarten through six.

According to Michelle Horstmeyer, president of the charter school’s board of directors, the school will add seventh grade in 2007 and eighth grade the following year.

New Vision’s curriculum will follow the Core Knowledge program, which the board decided on after doing extensive research. In addition, all grade levels will study Spanish. Every grade will also have two teachers, two conjoined classrooms and will share an assistant.

Horstmeyer said she anticipates enrollment at 336 in its opening year, which would be “full or nearly so.”

Phase two will be the building of the Boys & Girls Club, which will take up an additional 26,000 square feet of the six-acre lot. This shared space will house the school’s gymnasium, cafeteria, art rooms and the library, among other things.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Loveland now serves 60 children in a facility with only one room for activities, said Kathi Wright, executive director. This expansion should raise capacity to 300, and broaden the club’s program options.

Architect Adele Willson, an associate with Slater Paul Architects Inc. in Denver, designed the facility and specializes in school buildings. “It’s a wonderful joint use of space,” she said. “We worked closely with representatives from both the Boys & Girls Clubs and the school.”

Selection of the construction manager and general contractor for the project is expected this month, after the school’s board of directors weeds through 15 qualification statements. Previous experience in school construction is a key consideration, because of the “level of complexity of school projects in general,” Moreng said.

Phase one is expected to cost approximately $2.5 to $3 million. Horstmeyer said the board is currently looking at private investors and bonds to cover the expense of construction. The school will not draw from the Thompson district’s capital budget, which normally funds new construction or expansions.

LOVELAND – New Vision Charter School is still in its formative stages, but it’s plain to see the school will have a one-of-a-kind outlook on education in the Thompson School District.

The public school, which plans to open in the fall of 2006, is planning a 51,000-square-foot building to share with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Loveland.

Jon Moreng, a consultant helping with New Vision’s construction process, said plans call for the building to develop in two stages. The school itself will be built in 2006, and the Boys & Girls Clubs in 2007. The two buildings will stand side by…

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