AURORA | Community groups, charter schools and the district itself are among the organizations selected for consideration to move forward after soliciting proposals on how to repurpose Sable and Paris elementary schools.
The schools are slated to close at the end of the current school year after the school board approved the district’s plan to close them as part of Blueprint APS in a contentious vote. Starting last fall, the district has been going through a process of determining what the properties will be used for.
A third school, Sixth Avenue Elementary School, will go through the repurposing process next school year.
An online proposal portal was opened in December giving outside organizations and district employees the opportunity to submit proposals for future use. After the portal closed in early February, the district announced in a message on APS’ website that four proposals for Paris and three for Sable will move forward for consideration.
The proposals moving forward for Paris Elementary are:
- Cohen-Esrey Development Group: a proposal to create the Aurora Hub House, which would offer “affordable housing units for families experiencing homelessness, workforce housing for APS educators and staff, neighborhood-serving retail, and the potential for an early childhood center.”
- M. Fisher Collaborative Works/Vanguard Classical School West: a proposal to move its existing K-8 charter school on Yosemite Street to Paris.
- Village Exchange Center: a proposal by the nonprofit to create a community center providing “wrap-around services, collaborative rental space, educational programming, multi-faith worship spaces, multi-media opportunities and events.”
- Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism: a proposal to partner with other youth-focused organizations to “create a community hub inclusive of childcare services; food access and security systems; and education and workforce pathways.”
The proposals moving forward for Sable Elementary are:
- Aurora Expeditionary Learning Academy: a proposal to move its existing PK-8 charter school from its current location on Jewell Avenue to Sable.
- Aurora Public Schools Early Childhood Education Department: a proposal to use the school as a childhood development center to meet the needs of Colorado’s new universal preschool program.
- Colorado UpLift: a proposal by the nonprofit to create the Uplift Community Center, which would include “an operations and support center; a sports and wellness complex; an alumni and community resource center; a leadership innovation and training center; and a leadership academy.”
The proposals were selected by the APS Repurpose Proposal Review Committee, which consists of nine representatives from a variety of district departments. According to the district, criteria included feasibility of the proposals and alignment with district and community values.
Community feedback sessions conducted in the fall found that participants expressed a desire for community focused facilities but were also skeptical of the district and school board’s intentions.
In response to a Sentinel inquiry, the district said that, in total, nine organizations had submitted RFPs. The entities that were not selected were the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center and the APS Division of Support Services. The district said that the full RPF proposals could not be shared until the process was complete.
The next step in the process will be for applicants to present their proposals to the community and solicit feedback in a series of public meetings the week of March 20.
The presentations are scheduled for:
• Paris proposals: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 22 at Paris Elementary School, 1635 Paris St.
• Sable Elementary proposals: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. March 23 at Sable Elementary School, 2601 Sable Blvd.
• All proposals: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 25 at North Middle School, 12095 E. Montview Blvd.
Interpretation will be available in Nepali, Spanish, Burmese, Karen and Somali and in other languages with advance request, according to the district.
After the presentations, the superintendent is scheduled to present final recommendations in May. Depending on the type of repurposing, the final decision will be made by either the superintendent or be voted on by the school board, according to information on the district’s website. The board must vote on decisions involving school closures and school property being sold, according to district policy. The superintendent can unilaterally decide to repurpose schools or use school buildings for an alternative district use.
The role of superintendent is currently being held by chief of staff Mark Seglem, who is serving as an interim through June while APS searches for a new leader. In an email, the district confirmed that he will have the authority to make decisions on the repurposing process that would fall to the superintendent.