Welcome to the Summit School District Facilities Master Plan Page
Mastering Our Future: The Facilities Master Plan
Launched in late 2021, SSD's Master Plan is our roadmap to enhance every school building within the district. It focuses on educational adequacy, safety, community use of facilities, and achieving solutions for affordable housing for our workforce.
Key process steps include Data-Gathering, Review of Guiding Principles, Community Feedback, and Implementation Planning.
Our strategic focus areas include Academic Success, Family and Community Partnerships, and an Equity Seeking System.
A Bright Future Begins Here: Join Us in Shaping Tomorrow
2025 FACILITIES MASTER PLAN PROCESS
Summit School District is reviewing its Master Plan to ensure our schools remain strong, sustainable, and future-ready. We invite staff, families, and community members to join the conversation and help shape the future of our schools.
What Will Be Examined
Facilities and infrastructure – Addressing building deficiencies to extend the useful life of buildings and plan for
safe, efficient, and modernized spaces that meet the educational needs of students.
Enrollment trends – Declining enrollment, particularly in smaller schools, has raised questions about sustainability and program consistency. As part of this discussion, the potential consolidation of elementary schools was explored. Any recommendations around consolidation will center on maximizing high-quality learning environments and school resources.
Programmatic needs – Updating instructional spaces, specialized learning areas to support future-ready pathways and hands-on, forward-looking learning.
Financial and operational sustainability - recognizing both statewide funding pressures and local enrollment declines, and ensuring we responsibly steward resources to balance community values with long-term stability.
Overarching Vision & Achievements
Master Planning Work to Date & Milestones
The district has a history of proactive planning:
- 2010 - Building Vision 2020: Identified projected overcrowding, recognized the need for workforce housing, and focused on high-performing 21st-century learning environments.
- 2015 - Vision 2020: Demographic shifts projected enrollment growth, leading to capacity issues in 2015. Identified additional requests for an Early Learning Center, synthetic turf at SHS, and workforce housing.
- 2016 - Bond & Mill Levy: A $68.9 million Bond was approved by voters for urgent building repairs, growth needs, and Vision 2020 projects. Projects included SMS & SHS expansions, school improvements, and the remodel of libraries and addition of Makerspaces. Enrollment was projected to remain stable (0.07-7% decline). An employee housing study launched, identifying a need for 100 units. Identified building deficiencies and the need for CTE program and space development, prioritizing equity, family partnerships, and academic success.
- 2021-22 - Bond Proposal (Not Approved): This proposal included construction of an Innovation Center to expand CTE, relocate Snowy Peaks, rebuild Breckenridge Elementary, and workforce housing.
- 2017 - Construction Begins: Projects included SHS academic commons, 4 STEAM labs, and classrooms; SMS 2-story classroom additions, STEAM addition, cafeteria expansion, HVAC upgrades; CTE campus planning with Snowy Peaks; and Breckenridge Elementary under review for full replacement or remodel
2024 Staff and Community Bond Feedback (What We Heard & What We Are Doing):
- Workforce Housing: Collaborating with community partners. Partnered with the Town of Breckenridge to provide 35 deed-restricted homes in the Runway Project near Upper Blue Elementary.
- BEST Grant: Exploring and successfully awarded a "Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Grant to Enhance School Safety and Modernize Infrastructure."
- Long-term Planning & Communication: Engaging HCM Architects to update the Master Plan and forming a Master Planning Work Group for stakeholder feedback.
- Future-Ready Pathways Programming: Formed a workgroup to develop and integrate robust programming.
- Financial Stewardship: Participated in state-level advocacy for public education funding and is having ongoing discussions about a potential Mill Levy override.
MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE
Three Community Master Planning meetings have been scheduled. The committee will help design additional opportunities for broader engagement, both prior to making recommendations and after, ensuring every voice is heard.
Attendees – Master Planning Committee Meeting
| Naomi McMahon Emily Lutke Kristin Thwaites Jessica Grafmiller Lynn Ryckman Jenny Stafford Julie Johnson Amy Luckett Caroline Hesford Melanie Hilden Leslie Borgen Tonya Yu Lisa Webster Becca Spiro Kaili warren Kelly Ownes Jay Peltier Becca Spiro Alexa Ford Leslie Herman Lisa Webster Steve Gerard |
Chris Guarino |
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