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http://www.canyoncourier.com/story_display.php?sid=1100
To Kay Bohan, the Rocky Mountain Deaf School is a place that took her son, Troy, from a 3-year-old who couldn’t communicate to a 6-year-old who can sign nearly everything he’s thinking.
That’s why she’s doing all she can to secure a new home for the school, which is a Jefferson County School District charter off Kipling Street in the south part of the county. The lease for the current building ends at the close of this school year. The mother has gone as far as contacting the television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and she’s now organizing plans to send the show a video about the school’s facilities needs, in hopes that the show will give the students and staff a dream facility.
“This is an issue really close to my heart,” Bohan said of the school’s future home. “My son has learned so much at this school.”
Bohan, who lives outside Evergreen in Clear Creek County, is not alone in her pursuit. An anonymous community member has verbally committed $250,000 to a new school. Staff and parents are searching for possible property, applying for grants and organizing several fund-raisers, including a fall festival and candle sales.
The efforts have made Sharon Kellogg, who’s the new director at the preschool-through-fifth-grade school, optimistic.
“We have groups that are very determined to make this happen, which, of course, means that it will happen,” Kellogg said.
The school, which has about 40 students, currently leases a building from Westland Baptist Church. Kellogg said the school is planning to build a new building, although the land hasn’t been determined. They want to find a South Jefferson County spot.
The estimated cost for a new building would be between $1.2 million and $1.4 million, she said. So far, the school has $138,000 from the district’s construction project fund in addition to the anonymous pledge. Kellogg said that right now, they plan on funding the majority of the project through loans.
This is the school’s fourth location in almost 10 years. Kellogg said that it’s time for the school to have a new building. Now, it shares a gym and playground with the church. There are many inconveniences, such as the cafeteria doubling as classroom space. Traveling from one classroom to another can require walking out of one building, up stairs and up a fire escape. To meet the needs of the students, they need wider hallways and flashing lights.
“We need our own space. We need our own identity,” Kellogg said.
She hopes that they can confirm a location soon and break ground this winter.
In the meantime, Bohan will help prepare the submission to “Extreme Makeover” and keep pushing for a location.
She doesn’t know what her family would do without Rocky Mountain Deaf School.
“It would be catastrophic for my family,” she said. “We need a school.”
To Kay Bohan, the Rocky Mountain Deaf School is a place that took her son, Troy, from a 3-year-old who couldn’t communicate to a 6-year-old who can sign nearly everything he’s thinking.
That’s why she’s doing all she can to secure a new home for the school, which is a Jefferson County School District charter off Kipling Street in the south part of the county. The lease for the current building ends at the close of this school year. The mother has gone as far as contacting the television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and she’s now organizing plans to send the show a video about the school’s facilities needs, in hopes that the show will give the students and staff a dream facility.
“This is an issue really close to my heart,” Bohan said of the school’s future home. “My son has learned so much at this school.”
Bohan, who lives outside Evergreen in Clear Creek County, is not alone in her pursuit. An anonymous community member has verbally committed $250,000 to a new school. Staff and parents are searching for possible property, applying for grants and organizing several fund-raisers, including a fall festival and candle sales.
The efforts have made Sharon Kellogg, who’s the new director at the preschool-through-fifth-grade school, optimistic.
“We have groups that are very determined to make this happen, which, of course, means that it will happen,” Kellogg said.
The school, which has about 40 students, currently leases a building from Westland Baptist Church. Kellogg said the school is planning to build a new building, although the land hasn’t been determined. They want to find a South Jefferson County spot.
The estimated cost for a new building would be between $1.2 million and $1.4 million, she said. So far, the school has $138,000 from the district’s construction project fund in addition to the anonymous pledge. Kellogg said that right now, they plan on funding the majority of the project through loans.
This is the school’s fourth location in almost 10 years. Kellogg said that it’s time for the school to have a new building. Now, it shares a gym and playground with the church. There are many inconveniences, such as the cafeteria doubling as classroom space. Traveling from one classroom to another can require walking out of one building, up stairs and up a fire escape. To meet the needs of the students, they need wider hallways and flashing lights.
“We need our own space. We need our own identity,” Kellogg said.
She hopes that they can confirm a location soon and break ground this winter.
In the meantime, Bohan will help prepare the submission to “Extreme Makeover” and keep pushing for a location.
She doesn’t know what her family would do without Rocky Mountain Deaf School.
“It would be catastrophic for my family,” she said. “We need a school.”