Surrounded by piñon, sagebrush, and sweeping mountain views, the ceremony marked the beginning of a long-awaited vision for a school that will one day serve generations of students in one of Durango’s fastest-growing areas.
From left: Andrea Guttormson, Principal of Florida Mesa Elementary School; Laura Galido, DSD HR Director; Kristin Smith, DSD Board President; Andrea Parmenter, Board Secretary; Dr. Karen Cheser, DSD Superintendent; Erika Brown, DSD Board Vice President; Chris Coleman, DSD Chief Operations Officer; and Jim Dusman, Assistant Principal of Florida Mesa Elementary School.
In attendance were members of the Durango School District Board of Education, district leadership, student board representatives, Florida Mesa Elementary School leaders, and project partners from Jacobs project management, Nunn Construction, and RTA Architects. Landowners Tim Zink and Shane Seibel of the Southern Ute Growth Fund also participated in the ceremony.
The Jacobs project management team and the RTA Architects team join together to break ground.
“We always had the idea that one day there was going to be a school here, hustling and bustling with children,” said Shane Seibel, Executive Director of the Southern Ute Growth Fund. “We couldn’t be more proud.”
Shane Seibel, Executive Director of the Southern Ute Growth Fund
The new elementary school, funded through the 2024 Investing in Our Schools Bond, is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and will eventually replace Florida Mesa Elementary School.
Dr. Karen Cheser, superintendent of Durango School District, described the school as more than just a building.
“We are building something remarkable,” Cheser said. “Every time we build new schools or spaces, we make them better. This will be a place for children to discover who they are, what they love, and what they’re capable of.”
Cheser highlighted the school’s flexible, student-centered design, including adaptable learning spaces, outdoor classroom porches connected to every classroom, and spaces designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and innovation.
“One of the greatest gifts of this school is the land and the environment,” Cheser said. “This school will be intentionally connected to the outside world, with outdoor porches off every single classroom, with outdoor spaces, trails, and a design that allows mountains and sky to be a part of the day for every student.”
The event was held as a closed-site gathering due to active road construction in the area. Community members will be invited to a public grand-opening and ribbon-cutting celebration when the school opens in fall 2028.
In the meantime, residents can follow Durango School District social media channels and website for updates as construction progresses.
Joy Guttormson, a second-grade student at Florida Mesa Elementary School, grins as she lifts dirt.