Building a Better Back-to-School: Summer Renovations Wrapped Up Across the District

While classrooms sat quiet over the summer, our facilities team was hard at work investing $1.2 million into sweeping upgrades across the district. Wrapping up in early August just before students and staff returned, this summer’s effort blended major structural overhauls with essential, behind-the-scenes maintenance.

Two landmark projects led this year’s roster. At Strawberry Park Elementary, the library—originally built in 1981—received a complete modern transformation featuring brand-new shelving, casework, carpet, paint, ceiling grids, and lighting. Meanwhile, Steamboat Springs High School fully renovated 12 bathrooms dating back to 1998, outfitting them with new wall and floor tile, modern fixtures, mirrors, sinks, and lighting. This high school overhaul marked a historic milestone: every single bathroom across the district has now been remodeled since Facilities Manager Pascal Ginesta began the district-wide initiative in 2009.

These projects were the result of meticulous planning. Each autumn, Ginesta meets with school administrators to align on building needs, leveraging a five-year projected plan to carefully fit priorities into an annual target budget of around $1.3 million—funded through a combination of bond money and district operating funds. Work kicked off the moment the doors closed for the break, starting with district-wide main-entry carpet replacements.

Beyond the headline renovations, campus improvements took place everywhere:

• Steamboat Springs Middle School & SPE: Exterior metal doors were repainted, critical backflow preventers were replaced to safeguard the water supply, and SSMS received brand-new theater curtains along with a freshly painted cafeteria.
• District Office: Meeting rooms received new carpet and paint, and workers successfully replaced the rooftop gas line.
• District-Wide Refreshes: All gym floors were refinished, parking lot lines were repainted, and paper towel, soap, and toilet paper dispensers were replaced district-wide.

Coupled with the heavy lifting of deep-cleaning lockers and kitchens, inspecting science lab equipment, and prepping every hallway, our campuses were officially ready to welcome everyone back for a fantastic new year. A huge thank you to our hardworking facilities crew for making our schools shine!