Steamboat Springs School District Ends Partnership With Rural Homes, Remains Committed to Staff Housing

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. - At the February 9 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Celine Wicks announced the District’s decision to end its partnership with Rural Homes while reaffirming the District’s continued commitment to developing staff housing on the Sleeping Giant parcel. Concerns about project timelines and cost certainty led to the decision to reassess next steps.

“As the District moves forward with a housing project of this scale, we want to be intentional and responsible with District resources,” said Superintendent Dr. Celine Wicks. “At this point, we are not confident that we have firm cost information, and it would not be responsible to move forward without that clarity.”

As part of applying for funding through the Yampa Valley Community Foundation and the short-term rental tax, the District was asked detailed questions regarding project costs and timelines. Those questions prompted the District to step back to ensure it has a clear, accurate understanding of the project’s true cost.

The District plans to reconvene its housing committee by April 1 to revisit other proposals initially received. The scope of what the District plans to build has not changed. The District is also evaluating additional third-party expertise to support cost analysis and project planning as it moves forward.  

As a result of project delays, the District determined that breaking ground in summer 2026 was no longer realistic. With additional time to reassess next steps, the District is now planning toward a potential groundbreaking in summer 2027.

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Media contact:
Laura Milius
Director of Communications
lmilius@ssk12.org