Voter approval of Aurora Public Schools’ (APS) $300 million bond issue in November has given the APS administration a green light to resume planning for a 6th–12th-grade campus on a nine-acre parcel located on the north side of 25th Ave. between Galena and Geneva streets. Those efforts include acquisition of a 1.7-acre parcel through condemnation, and negotiations with Denver School of Science and Technology for a possible 50-50 partnership in financing construction of the new buildings required for the campus. The bond issue would provide the APS share of capital costs for the campus.

APS has previously stated they expect the eminent domain process to be concluded by March. The property is currently occupied by the South Stapleton Office Warehouse Park building. According to Superintendent Rico Munn, the acquisition is critical to provide enough land for the campus and to link two disconnected APS parcels along that block.

At the Dec. 6 APS Board meeting, members authorized Munn to continue discussions with DSST about operating one of its charter schools at the APS property. Board members cautioned Munn that their approval of continued discussions does not guarantee that DSST would ultimately be selected as the charter school operator. When contacted by the Front Porch, neither Munn’s office nor Bill Kurtz of DSST would share any information about the partnership discussion.

Munn has said it will be several years before a new school will open at the 25th Ave. site, but the time is right to begin the planning since new homes in Stapleton Aurora are beginning construction. Stapleton developer Forest City anticipates construction of 322 homes for that portion of Stapleton located in the city limits of Aurora, i.e., south of 26th Ave.