education | AQUIRED PROPERTY
The proposed site for the American Legacy Academy charter school in Weld-RE4, currently owned by developer Martin Lind, is seen in the Raindance development at 2015 Covered Bridge Parkway in Windsor April 14, 2022. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)
WELD RE-4 SCHOOL DISTRICT TAKES OWNERSHIP OF RAINDANCE PROPERTY IN WINDSOR BY ANNE DELANEY indsor land that was the source of significant community conversation during the past few months surrounding a potential charter school officially belongs to the Weld RE-4 School District.
W
The district has long designated the land as the site of a future kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school. RainDance was one of two sites for a 600-student K-5 building under the district’s $179 million bond proposal in 2021.
The Weld RE-4 board of education voted Monday (May16, 2022) evening to accept the deed for the 10-acre parcel — known as the RainDance property — on Covered Bridge Parkway in the RainDance section of Windsor.
Despite the failure of the bond measure, the district has maintained it wants to retain possession of the land. RainDance is again part of potential bond packages being considered by Weld RE-4 and community members.
Board acceptance means the land at 2015 Covered Bridge Parkway was acquired by the district from RainDance Development LLC and owner Martin Lind.
Earlier this month, the Weld RE-4 board in a 4-1 vote declined to sell the RainDance property for $2.1 million to charter school group American Legacy Academy.
The school district did not buy the RainDance land. In Colorado, through intergovernmental agreements, developers have two ways to contribute to school districts: by providing land and a cash-in-lieu of land arrangement where a developer gives a school district to buy land in another location.
The board’s decision capped months of communication between American Legacy Academy and district leaders on two issues surrounding the charter school’s interest in opening schools in Windsor and Severance: the acquisition of the RainDance land and American Legacy Academy’s application to operate the schools in the area.
The deed was signed over to the school district in April according to Weld RE-4 chief operating officer Jason Seybert, who addressed the board on the acceptance. District legal representatives then reviewed the transaction. The land is estimated to be worth $2.1 million, the school district has said based on information from the developer. Seybert said an official appraisal will take place after the district takes ownership. 26 | mywindsor | JUNE 2022
Also on Monday evening: the Weld RE-4 board heard from chief financial officer Nikki Schmidt on a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2023. The final budget will be approved at the June 20 board meeting. The total recommended appropriation for all funds is $152,519,637 million. This is down slightly from the $154.5 million in the revised budget in January.
