Link to original Sun Telegraph article: https://www.suntelegraph.com/story/2025/12/04/news/peetz-schools-38-million-rebuild-nears-completion/21382.html
Adrienne LaBay | Dec 04, 2025
PEETZ – Peetz Public School, which serves approximately 210 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, will hold a grand opening for its newly constructed facility on January 5, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The school's superintendent, Jeff Durbin, was a driving force behind the project.
"If I had to do this again, I would do it in a heartbeat," Durbin said. "I had a phenomenal group of people to work with; everyone had their hearts in the right place. We were able to work through challenges."
Construction on the new school has been a multi-year process. The school initially requested a bond in 2021, which was rejected. However, a bond of $11.8 million passed in November 2022, following a $23.2 million grant from the 'Building Excellent Schools Today' (BEST) program in May 2022.
"The BEST grant went around and rated every building," Durbin said. "We rated high and were selected as one of the top candidates for the program."
The BEST program, established in 2008, provides grants to Colorado schools in need of renovations or new construction, with a focus on creating safe, high-performance learning environments for the 21st century.
In addition to the initial grant, the school had to apply for a supplemental BEST grant to keep the project within budget. The $3.8 million in additional funding helped cover part of the $38 million total cost, with the surrounding community responsible for just the $11.8 million bond.
"It wasn't a huge amount, but large farmers and commercial property owners were hit the hardest," Durbin explained. "Farmers with substantial land holdings bore the brunt of the $11 million cost. Residential areas and small businesses saw some impact, but nothing compared to the larger agricultural and corporate properties."
Work on the project began in earnest following the bond's approval. Plans for the new school were revealed at a community meeting on March 1, 2023, with construction officially breaking ground on May 5, 2023.
During the planning phase, security was a top priority, with designs making it easier to supervise the halls. A separate bus drop-off area was added to streamline pick-up and drop-off procedures, and the school layout ensured younger students would be situated away from high schoolers, with shared resources in the middle.
Students in grades five through twelve were also consulted about the school's design, expressing a preference for natural lighting, an updated gym, a functional playground, and new technology.
"We wanted to make sure it felt like home," Durbin said. "We wanted a welcoming facility."
The construction process was divided into two phases. Phase one included the completion of several classrooms, the cafeteria, and the library. Phase two, which began after delays caused by asbestos removal, involved demolishing most of the old school and building the remainder of the new facility, including the administrative offices, a new stage, and a music room.
Despite the setback, Durbin praised the construction crew for their resilience. "We have a phenomenal crew," he said. "They stayed on top of things, working on whatever they could, and once we got the green light for phase two, we made up for lost time."
Throughout phase one, students continued their classes in the old building, gradually transitioning into the new facility as phase two progressed.
"We never missed a beat," Durbin noted. "We just kept moving forward."
While much of the original building was demolished, several key classrooms were preserved and incorporated into the new school. These included the agriculture shop, a newer gymnasium, and one of the older gyms, all of which were remodeled.
"We've upgraded our technology," Durbin said. "We've overhauled our internet systems and installed a new fire suppression system."
The final touches on construction were completed by November 21, 2025, with minor adjustments-such as adding outlets and touching up paint-continuing in the following days.
"The HVAC system was the biggest challenge, along with the electrical work," Durbin explained. "Getting parts for the breakers and control boxes was particularly difficult. Some materials were hard to come by."
Durbin also emphasized the school's efforts to give back to the community during the construction process. The school purchased new technology for the local community center as a thank-you for hosting the music program throughout construction. Additionally, they built a fire suppression system that can more efficiently fill the fire department's water tanker trucks.
The original school, built in 1944, had undergone several additions and renovations over the years. However, by the time construction began, the building had significant structural issues.
"I've been in four districts in my career, and of those, Peetz was in the most disrepair," Durbin said. "It was in desperate need of an upgrade, especially when it came to heating, cooling, windows, and doors. The building was constantly in need of repairs, and it had become an unsafe environment."
Problems included overloaded electrical circuits, cramped rooms, fire hazards, and plumbing systems in constant need of repair. The roof also leaked, with some sections of the school having as many as five layers of roofing, which allowed pests into the building.
"When you want something and you start putting a price tag on it, I always tell my staff, 'If you can justify it as something that's better for the kids and will be used daily, we'll find the money,'" Durbin said. "We were very selective in how we built the new school and made sure every decision was made with the students in mind."