Woodland Park boards explore sale of 500 East Kelly's Road as Merit Academy seeks to buy and repair building

The Woodland Park School District RE-2 board and representatives of Merit Academy met in a joint work session to discuss options for the district-owned facility at 500 East Kelly's Road, which Merit Academy seeks to acquire so it can finance roughly $3,000,000 in safety and facility repairs.

The conversation centered on three problems: the building’s deferred maintenance (an estimated $3 million in needed repairs), Merit Academy’s inability to obtain capital financing while it does not own the building, and the district’s limited financial capacity and legal limits on taking on additional debt or cosigning loans.

Merit Academy representative Keegan said, “Merit Academy covers the operations and superficial maintenance... All of the health, safety, security facets are district responsibility because it’s a district owned building,” and added that contractors will not provide loans or bond collateral to the school while it lacks ownership of the property.

District staff member Aaron Salt…