Answers to Frequently Asked Questions - MHS Bond Proposal

MCSD seeks to address its highest priority needs by replacing Montrose High School (MHS) with a mostly new building and making other campus wide improvements.  

 

On August 27th, the School Board voted to call the question to place language on the ballot to fund a new Montrose high School at total cost of $198M The bond measure will replace Montrose High School with a mostly new building and make additional improvements to the campus. Every year the district delays solving the problem, costs increase by 10% or more ($19.8M annually or more).  

Some parts of the high school are more than 80 years old. The most recent addition—known as the new wing—was constructed more than 20 years ago. The school has been added onto many times over the years.

 

Yes. The District allocates approximately $82,000 annually to deferred maintenance at Montrose High School (over a third of the maintenance funds for all schools). While these funds play a critical role in helping protect and improve our school buildings, they are not sufficient to address the major capital facility needs that have been identified. 

Montrose High School is currently a patchwork of additions and renovations completed as stopgap measures over the past 80 years to serve a growing school community. With overcrowding already an issue, and enrollment projected to increase by about 100 students in 2026, additional space is needed. Additionally, the school’s aging infrastructure requires constant maintenance and repair, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Other identified challenges include:

A bond measure is a method of borrowing employed by school districts to pay for larger capital investment, used in much the same way as a person who takes out a mortgage to purchase a home. Proceeds of a bond measure are often used for school renovations and additions.
 

The identification and prioritization of building and site needs was accomplished through a 36-month Master Capital Planning Process. This included facilities audits by architects and engineers; input from District leadership, staff, teachers, and community members; and community survey. 
 

What are the benefits of the proposed bond referendum?
 There are many anticipated benefits, including:

No. By law, a bond referendum can only be used to fund brick-and-mortar projects and cannot be used for operating expenses like teachers or administrators. Should voters approve the 2024 Proposal, all the proceeds would be used to construct the new high school and make other campuswide improvements. 

Every year the district waits to solve the problem, the cost considerably increases. For example, if the District waits ten years, and construction cost escalation is 10%, the cost would double.

Construction cost escalation on the Western Slope has typically seen a 12%-14% increase annually over the last decade.

Every year the district waits to fix MHS, the cost increases $19.8M or more.  

The identification and prioritization of building and site needs was accomplished through a 36-month Master Capital Planning Process. This included facilities audits by architects and engineers; input from District leadership, staff, teachers, and community members; and a community survey.