WESTMINSTER — A schism over how best to spend the proceeds from Adams 50 School District’s $98.6 million bond issue that voters approved two years ago was clearly evident among the 200 or so residents gathered at Harris Park Elementary School on Tuesday night.
Roughly half supported the majority of school board members who believe that at least $90 million of the bond should be spent on upgrading Westminster High School.
That includes creating specialized academies aimed at training students for 21st-century careers.
“We need to have a school district that will educate kids properly,” said Skeet Hartman, a Westminster business owner who backs renovations at the high school.
The other half of those who attended Tuesday’s meeting — called a “public engagement” session with district officials — said they felt betrayed because the bond effectively bypasses other schools in the district that are in need of repairs.
“We feel we’ve been sold a bill of goods that we didn’t ask for,” said resident Vi June. “I, for one, will never vote for another bond issue in this district again.”
Four of the district’s five school board members stood before the crowd to garner support for the Westminster High plan, which includes placing a $2 million administration building inside the school.
The fifth board member — Marilyn Flachman — stood off to the side of the four.
Flachman wrote a letter of apology to taxpayers earlier this year, saying the original intent of the bond issue was to improve all the district schools and not just Westminster High.
“I know I knocked on many of your doors that fall asking you to support this bond issue,” Flachman told residents.
When she asked the audience whether they would have voted for the bond if they knew most of it would go for an overhaul of the high school, many said “No.”
Still others said they appreciated the district’s attempts to build a state-of-the-art high school that will attract prospective students from inside and outside the district.
Board president Vicky Marshall said even though the new high school has a 2,900-student capacity — the current high school population is 2,285 — the district must be prepared for growth spurts.
“We cannot build just for the next few years,” Marshall said. “We must build for the future of our district, five, 10, even 20 years into the future of our community.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
