Sterling Ranch, ranked as one of the Top 50 Master Planned Communities in the nation, is looking forward to the start of construction on a new district school and a new charter school both of which will be open to serving the members of the thriving community. The first school (a district school) will be built for kindergarten through 6th grade students and able to accommodate as many as 800 students. The second school is a charter school that will be able to accommodate 1,200 kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
“The voters of Douglas County enthusiastically supported a bond measure that included the money to build two new schools in Sterling Ranch,” said Brock Smethills, president of Sterling Ranch Development Company. “Our organization supported the bond measure, and we are excited about finally having neighborhood schools in our community. We are equally proud to provide them with a home.”
Smethills continued, “The location of the elementary school is right in the entryway of our community and Sterling Ranch is happy to have donated this land for that purpose back in November of 2015. While it has been delayed gratification for ourselves and the members of the Sterling Ranch Community, we are thrilled to be able to provide support to the Douglas County School District. This much-needed elementary school will provide a quality education to students in a safe and welcoming environment, and our community will certainly support the school, as well as its students, parents and educators as we build this incredible new elementary school.”
The bond, which passed during the November 5 election, will provide the following according to officials:
- $150 million for new school construction in RidgeGate and Sterling Ranch, and an expansion of the Sierra Middle School
- $178.9 million for capital renewal and replacement
- $38.2 million for career and technical education programs
- $15.4 million for special education
- $10 million for safety and security
- $8.3 million for transportation
The new charter school will be financed through the municipal bonds pledged from the future school.
Sterling Ranch is ranked as one of the Top 50 Master Planned Communities in the nation and number one in Colorado, based on new home sales according to two independent national studies. The community attributes its success to a ‘quality-of-life’ vision the development team established for Sterling Ranch more than a decade ago. The community provides residents with adjacency to two State Parks, a high-quality sustainable water system, hiking trails and good health in an idyllic Colorado setting, with a vast array of home designs to choose from. The people who live in Sterling Ranch also enjoy partnerships with experts in technology and safety.