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D-51 bond projects move into summer phase as district readies nine schools for priority improvements
Summary
District staff told the board that PIP phase two is scheduled for summer work across dozens of schools, with about $2 million spent to date on design and a total bond program budget near $37 million; construction budgets are reporting near $28 million so far, excluding soft costs.
The Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 received an update on bond-funded capital work, with consultants and staff outlining summer priorities for safety and infrastructure projects across the district’s schools.
“Right now about $2 million has been spent primarily on design, investigation, surveys, [and] geotech reports,” said Mike Adams of Dynamic Program Management, who led the board briefing. He said the bond program’s total budget is “about $37 million” and that initial construction budgets are coming in around $28 million, not including soft costs and contingencies.
District staff described the two major bond buckets — the larger high-school projects and a second bucket of priority improvement projects (PIPs). Phase two PIP work is planned for this coming summer and will include life-safety upgrades such as fire sprinklers and alarms and asbestos abatement. Presenters said 11 schools are scheduled for summer work in the coming cycle after nine schools were worked on the prior summer.
Furniture procurement and contractor pricing are advancing in parallel, staff said. Construction drawings reached 100% in January–February and a furniture RFQP was scheduled to go out the day after the presentation; two contractor cost estimates were expected within days and a third the following week.
Contractor shop drawings for fire-suppression systems remain an important near-term milestone because they will determine how much classroom furniture must be moved during construction, staff said. Deep-foundation testing (helical-pier tests) is slated during spring break at West Middle School; asbestos abatement and contractor mobilization are expected toward the end of May.
The consultants gave a separate update on the Fruita-area high school work, forecasting construction to start in May with additions targeted for December completion and student use by January 2027. That project’s total budget was cited at roughly $24 million with under $1 million spent to date; its furniture procurement is being coordinated with PIP packages.
District staff emphasized careful move-out and move-back planning: schools that must vacate spaces will have three pre-move meetings with principals and staff, IT will reconnect systems after contractors leave, and custodial crews will restore rooms to their prior layout to minimize classroom disruption.
The briefing included renderings and site plans indicating contractor trailers, fenced construction zones and temporary parking impacts. Staff said they will continue coordination with principals and general contractors through the coming weeks as work accelerates into summer mobilization.
