Pagosa Peak Open School — the first District-authorized, tuition-free charter school in Archuleta County — moved into the Parelli Building in Aspen Village in the summer of 2017, to begin its journey as a K-8 “project-based learning” school open to all Archuleta County families. During its first three years, the new school leased the ground floor of the two-story office building.
The school founders hoped that the school would eventually be able to purchase the Parelli Building as its permanent campus, but understood that newly-formed Colorado charter schools typically find it financially challenging to own their buildings during their first five years of operation.
As things turned out, however, a group of supporters came together in 2020 — including the Town of Pagosa Springs, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the USDA Rural Development agency, and local philanthropist Mark Weiler — to facilitate the purchase of the former office building by the non-profit Pagosa Peak Building Corporation, on behalf of the school… (with special thanks to the Building Corp board: Ashley Wilson, Chenni Hammon and Courtney King.)
The school was thus able to occupy both floors of the building at the start of its fourth year — which helped facilitate the social distancing mandated for in=person instruction during the COVID pandemic.
Unfortunately, because the acquisition took place in the midst of the pandemic’s first wave, the “ribbon cutting” to celebrate the purchase had to be postponed.
The event has been scheduled for tomorrow, May 11 at 4pm. Please join the staff, parents, students and board of directors to celebrate a permanent home for Pagosa Peak Open School, with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce.
The event will also feature awards for the winners of the school’s 2020-2021 “Winter Games” competition and the presentation of a perpetual plaque. School Director Angela Reali-Crossland will share an overview of the school’s first year of building ownership, and summarize some of the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic.
Tours of the school will be available following the ceremony, allowing for social distancing and masks.
Pagosa Peak Open School is currently conducting a Capital Campaign, and is seeking financial donations from the community to complete infrastructure upgrades and repairs inside and outside the building. For more information about how to make contributions to the campaign, please contact Angela Reali-Crossland at areali@ppos.co or at 970-317-2151.
The Pagosa Daily Post welcomes submissions, photos, letters and videos from people who love Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Call 970-903-2673 or email pagosadailypost@gmail.com