Jeffco considers tearing down, rebuilding Columbine HS

Twenty years ago, in the weeks after two gunmen entered Columbine High School killing 13 people and themselves on April 20, 1999, students, staff and the community vowed to keep the school open.

For many, doing so felt like a way to reclaim the space and demonstrate hope’s everlasting triumph.

But a lot can change in two decades. Months after the community commemorated Columbine’s 20th anniversary, Jeffco Public Schools is considering tearing down Columbine High School and building a new school in a different location.

The proposal, which is “exploratory,” stems from the “macabre fascination” with what happened there 20 years ago, according to Glass. While Columbine is one of the safest schools in the country because of what happened there, Glass said, it remains under constant pressure. Police contacted a ‘record level’ of individuals there this school year.

Read more here: www.canyoncourier.com/content/jeffco-con...uilding-columbine-hs
By Deborah Swearingen
Saturday, June 8, 2019

Jeffco Public Schools hopes to receive feedback from the public and has a created community survey in order to do so. To participate, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/YT65D7V .

A New Columbine?
June 6, 2019

Columbine High School is now one of the safest schools in the nation, with a sophisticated system of surveillance and police/security protection. It also boasts a strong, inclusive, and positive school culture. We continue to be inspired by the sound of voices in unison shouting “We Are Columbine!”

Still, the school site continues to serve as a source of inspiration for potential school shooters, and its lasting impact only seems to be growing. Perhaps influenced by the 20th anniversary of the shooting, over the past 11 months the number of people trying to enter the school illegally or otherwise trespassing on school property has been increasing – now to record levels.

In 1999, no guidance existed on what to do with a building such as Columbine High School. Today school safety experts recommend tearing down buildings where school shootings take place. Since the morbid fascination with Columbine has been increasing over the years, rather than dissipating, we believe it is time for our community to consider this option for the existing Columbine building.

The Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education and administration are exploring the concept of asking voters for an additional $60-$70 million at the polls at some point in the future to construct a new high school for Columbine.

We are in the very preliminary and exploratory stages of these conversations and we are seeking community feedback and thoughts on this proposal. You can share those by visiting:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/YT65D7V

Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed. D.
Superintendent & Chief Learner

Read more at: advancejeffco.blog/2019/06/06/a-new-columbine/