Montbello High School reopened its doors to students in August 2022, eight years after the high school closed its doors and said goodbye -- forever leaving a legacy ingrained in the community. Today, the Warriors are back and the legacy continues! Pictured above are Montbello students standing in front of their school, which is currently undergoing a $139.5 million construction project. Dubbed “Reimagine Montbello” and paid for by the 2020 bond, made possible by Denver voters, Phase 1 of construction began in June 2022. Construction on the new building is estimated to be completed in 2024. If you missed it when it debuted in on our first edition, you can still view the iconic beam signing here.

“Because of the Bond specifically, we have a more robust inventory than anyone in the state,” Jackie said. “Other districts simply don’t have the extensive library that we do.” 

“We can use this land productively, not just to serve the kids of southwest Denver, but to serve all of the kids at DPS, by growing fresh produce,” Denver City Council member Kevin Flynn stated at the Glenbrook Greenhouse ribbon-cutting ceremony held in June.

Kevin serves as Councilman for District 2 of Denver and has been a part of DPS’ Glenbrook Greenhouse project from the very beginning, both as a neighbor and a planner. He has been working with DPS to align and collaborate with Denver Urban Gardens- a Denver community staple- to build a Food Forest Initiative at the ⅔ acre 2020 bond-funded structure.

The 28,000-sq-ft state-of-the-art commercial greenhouse is the first facility of its kind dedicated to providing public school students with fresh produce. There are no other greenhouses owned and operated by a school district that have this level of yield potential.

Theresa Hafner, Executive Director of Enterprise Management, oversees the project for DPS. Theresa and her team have harvested 1.7 tons of produce so far. Guests at the ceremony were able to tour the facility under the careful guidance of Theresa and Greenhouse Supervisor, Hayden Robbins. Guests even had the chance to sample the produce straight from the vine!

Check out the video above to get a peek into the historic milestone for DPS.

At DPS, we share in the celebration in support of our LGBTQIA students, staff, and extended community. In honor of Pride Month, we stopped by one of the many exciting renovations happening at Denver School of the Arts (DSA), to get the inside scoop on a truly special project.

First, a little bit of history: Using premium bond dollars from the 2020 bond, DSA was able to purchase four new buildings to expand their arts program. The decision to expand was made in order to create a more equitable experience for children who want to pursue an arts education here in Denver. DSA will set forth on these plans by doubling enrollment for the incoming sixth-grade class next year in 2024, when the Academic Center (one of the 4 buildings purchased for the expansion) will have its renovations complete.

One of the approved additions in this building is a gender-inclusive restroom for DSA students.

“It was a huge opportunity for us to make some changes, to update, and to meet the needs of students. I worked with a student group over the past two years, talking about safety and opportunity to access, so when we talked to the architects we proposed the idea of a fully gender-inclusive bathroom,” said DSA’s Assistant Principal, John Najmulski.

The addition will provide safe access to restrooms for all. The space was advocated for by DSA students and it will serve our DSA students.

Check out the video above to learn more about this student-led initiative made possible by Denver voters.

It’s been five months since DPS held a Groundbreaking Ceremony for Ceylon -- a new school being built in a rapidly growing neighborhood in the Far Northeast of Denver. Governor Jared Polis was in attendance as we broke ground and began construction on this $51 million project passed by Denver voters in the 2020 bond.

Well, it’s July and it’s time for an update! We toured the campus and saw new walls built, cranes in action, and a construction team that has been working hard for months. Swinerton Construction happily welcomed us on to their busy site to help us get a glimpse of the progress to share with our community.

DPS Project Manager, Amy Sponsler, led us on a tour. “Right now we are on track to finish all of the concrete walls by the end of July,” Amy said.

The Ceylon Campus is still unnamed. Elise Koehl is the School Communications Specialist for this emerging ECE-5 school, which will open its doors to students in August 2024. Elise is asking for your help to name this school! Watch the video for more information and visit the current website to submit your suggestions.

Completed Projects

Check out the full schedule here

Both a bond and a mill levy are types of funding drawn from property taxes to support public projects and services. A bond is a one-time capital investment in schools and classrooms. Bond funds help renovate older schools to update them for 21st-century learning, build brand-new school buildings, and buy additional educational technology. A bond can invest in building upgrades such as critical maintenance, sustainability, or air conditioning.

A mill levy funds ongoing operational needs such as teacher salaries, software, school nurses, and social-emotional supports. While a bond funds the physical building of schools and classrooms, the mill levy funds bring the classroom to life. For more information on funding, please review our school funding 101 resources.

Bond and Mill Levy Communications Specialist for DPS

Questions or comments? Contact: giorgia_alexander@dpsk12.net | For more information visit us at bond.dpsk12.org.