For Immediate Release
1.10.2022
Sheena Kadi
Communications Director & Public Information Officer
sheena.kadi@state.co.us
303-349-8113
Colorado Treasurer Dave Young Statement on BEST Grant Recipient Sierra Grande School District Ribbon Cutting
New PK-12 School to Serve 300 Students
“This event is symbolic of our state’s commitment to educational excellence for every child in Colorado and marks the beginning of a new era in how we educate children in our community here in Blanco. Preparing our students for the rest of their lives has never been more important than right now.
This is a place where our children will have the tools to realize their dreams and potential, and the focus will be on enhancing education through rich content and innovative hands-on and minds-on activities. The new, safer school will be a game changer in how we educate children and will make Blanco appealing to families for decades to come.”
Colorado State Treasurer and former K-12 educator Dave Young
Sierra Grande School District
In 2019, Sierra Grande School District received a grant of $35.2 million to replace the school. The school district contributed a $13.78 million match, with the total project just short of $49 million. Construction began in June 2020. Students will move in to start next semester, then the existing facility will be demolished and site work completed through the summer.
BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) Grant Program
Established in 2008 with the signing of C.R.S.22-43.7, BEST provides an annual amount of funding in the form of competitive grants to school districts, charter schools, institute charter schools, boards of cooperative educational services, and the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. BEST funds can be used for the construction of new schools as well as general construction and renovation of existing school facility systems and structures.
BEST is the only K-12 capital construction grant program in the state of Colorado.
Since its inception, 151 out of 178 school districts across the state have received BEST Grant Funding, improving learning environments for more than 325,000 students. During 2021, BEST generated $234 million dollars in school construction projects, creating or supporting 4,095 jobs.
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