District hears RTA findings: elementary, middle schools score lower; high school fares better

RTA Architects presented preliminary findings from a districtwide facilities master plan, showing significant differences between buildings in both condition and instructional adequacy.

Doug Abery, principal with RTA Architects, told the Archuleta County School District board the firm used a two‑part assessment: an "educational adequacy" review of instructional spaces and a facilities‑condition assessment of systems and building fabric. "Think of it as a scorecard," Abery said, explaining the team evaluated about 200 metrics per building and assigned a percentage that the board can use to prioritize work.

The elementary school scored roughly 56% on educational adequacy, Abery said, a level he compared to a D grade, noting the building dates to 1968 with a 1994 addition and has site challenges including traffic circulation and many interior classrooms without exterior windows. RTA reported a program capacity of 783 students and a functional capacity estimate of about 639, with current enrollment placing utilization near 80% — a common "sweet spot," Abery said, but one that strains instructional options because the cafeteria is undersized and the site lacks a gymnasium.

On the middle‑school campus, RTA found a similar adequacy score near 55% and flagged severe site constraints: a small downtown 4‑acre parcel, circulation problems and reliance on outdoor facilities across a public street. The team noted nearly half of the middle‑school classrooms are interior spaces that fall short of Colorado Department of Education (CDE) recommended classroom square footage.

The high school performed substantially better, scoring about 74% and showing adequate core spaces, administration areas and recent safety upgrades. Abery cautioned, however, that the high school is at high utilization (above 90% on the district's earlier counts) which limits the district's ability to add CTE, intervention or small‑group spaces without additional capital work.

RTA also described the facilities‑condition scoring method — combining likelihood of failure, safety risk and consequence — and said the firm will provide an itemized spreadsheet of every condition item with estimated costs so the district can prioritize short‑term (0–3 years) and longer‑term projects. "We're going to give you all of the data so that an objective decision can be made," the superintendent said.

Board members emphasized how the district will present options to the community. Several asked RTA to clearly separate items the district currently does not offer ("zeros out of zeros") from deferred‑maintenance needs so residents can weigh program choices against repair priorities. RTA and district staff previewed an engagement plan: a staff session Oct. 25, community meetings Oct. 29 and Nov. 13–14, and a planning advisory team meeting in December to refine options.

Next steps include finalizing the detailed assessment, adding any required air‑quality monitoring or CO2 sampling, producing the cost spreadsheet, and using community feedback to develop planning options for the board to consider.

The district will post the master plan as a living document on the district website so families and staff can review metrics, photos and recommendations as they are updated.