SCHOOLS IN DENVER AREA TO SPLIT $14M IN POT, LOTTO CASH
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Denver-area schools will split more than $14 million raised through marijuana taxes and lottery revenue for projects ranging from replacing roofs to expanding their buildings.
The Colorado State Board of Education approved $229 million in grants through the Building Excellent Schools Today program in June. More than half will be in the form of traditional grants — cash given to schools for specific uses — funded by marijuana excise taxes, Colorado Lottery revenue and other sources. The districts have to pay matching funds to receive the grants.
The remaining $100 million involves a sort of “rent-to-own” relationship. Districts lease a building to the state for the upfront cash, then pay gradually until they’ve reached a predetermined matching level. The state theoretically could take possession of a building if the district didn’t pay its matching funds, but that’s highly unlikely, said Jeremy Meyer, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Education.
The list of projects includes: Denver Public Schools: $1,471,517 for upgrades to the fire suppression system at George Washington High School; $3,344,136 to replace piping at Gilpin Elementary School. Board of Cooperative Educational Services: $4,404,556 for a building addition and safety upgrades at Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning.
Jeffco Public Schools: $2 million for fiber network infrastructure. Sheridan School District: $930,877 for roof replacement at SOAR Academy. Boulder Valley School Dis
trict: $921,525 for health and safety improvements at Justice High School.
St. Vrain Valley School District: $667,567 for roof repairs.
Westminster Public Schools: $342,517 to replace the boiler at Shaw Heights Middle School. Douglas County School District: $128,652 for roof replacement at Trailblazer Elementary School. Byers School District: $35,668 for asbestos abatement.
Backup projects, should any of the selected projects fail to raise matching funds: Aurora Public Schools: $17,680,732 for an addition to East Middle School. Mapleton Public Schools: $17,414,794 to replace Valley View Elementary School.