Construction for School Districts and Colleges on the East Metro
School, college and campus construction for education institutions in Aurora Highlands, Castle Rock and Greenwood Village, built around the academic calendar.
Voters approve a bond once, and then every dollar of it has to survive scrutiny for years. School districts and colleges on the east side of the metro are building into growth, and the projects they are funding come with fixed budgets, public meetings and a first day of class that cannot move. We build for the people responsible for those promises: superintendents, facility directors, campus planners and the architects and owner's representatives who work beside them.
Growth is visible on the ground. The Aurora Highlands master plan includes five schools among its 13,000 units, and it sits on a roughly 4,000-acre site that the community authority describes as a mix of residential, commercial, recreational and institutional uses. In Castle Rock, Arapahoe Community College's $40 million Collaboration Campus on a 14 acre site holds two 54,000 square foot buildings, with Colorado State University and the Douglas County School District as partners and $3 million of town infrastructure reimbursement approved in October 2018. Greenwood Village lists the Cherry Creek School District among its largest employers, at 1,000 to 1,500 people.
We build new schools, additions, renovations, career and technical spaces, athletic facilities and higher education buildings. Each project has a fixed deadline, a public audience and a procurement method that shapes how we work.
Working inside public procurement
Education owners buy construction in several ways. Some use competitive bidding on a completed design. Others select a construction manager early, bring them into design and agree on a guaranteed maximum price. Others pair a design-build team with the district's standards. We work in each model, and we advise on which suits the project. Where a bond has promised specific facilities, early construction-manager involvement helps keep scope matched to money. Our construction management at risk service is built for that early collaboration.
Transparency matters on public work. We bid subcontracts openly, document selection criteria, keep cost reports in a form that boards and auditors can follow and make our estimators available to the district's oversight committees. Owners get a monthly report that compares the guaranteed price with committed costs, pending changes and remaining contingency, so there are no surprises at the board table.
Plan review, inspections and approvals
A school project can meet more than one set of rules at the same time. The city or county building department reviews under the adopted I-codes, the fire authority reviews access and alarm systems, and the district itself has design standards and security protocols. Colorado adopts building codes locally: the January 20, 2026 tracker from the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver shows Aurora and Arapahoe County on the 2021 codes, Adams County and Castle Rock on 2018 and others on 2024.
That matters for districts that cross jurisdictions, because two schools in the same district may be designed under two editions. We read the adopted code for each site, schedule plan review early and keep a log of comments and responses so the district sees where each project stands. Site plan reviews, traffic studies for pickup and drop-off lines and drainage approvals are tracked on the same schedule as building permits.
Site, safety and daily operations
School sites combine large footprints with sensitive neighbors. Bus loops, parent drop-off lanes, playfields and parking must all be planned alongside the building, and the site civil work is often a third or more of the total budget. Soils matter: the Colorado Geological Survey notes that most schools, homes and roads in the state sit in areas of potentially expansive clay, and volume increases of 3 percent or more generally require specially designed foundations. We bring in geotechnical input before the foundation type is chosen.
Security also shapes design. Controlled vestibules, sight lines, door hardware, camera coverage and the ability to lock down zones are now standard requirements, and they affect framing, electrical and low-voltage budgets. We coordinate with the district's security staff early, so those systems are designed into the building rather than added after bids come in high.
Building around students and staff
When a project takes place on an operating campus, the construction fence is the most important line on the drawings. We set up dedicated entrances for trucks, keep deliveries out of arrival and dismissal hours and separate construction traffic from student routes. Workers who must be on a campus follow the district's screening and badging rules, and we keep those lists current.
Noise, dust and fumes are managed with the occupied rooms in mind. Roof work is scheduled when classes are out or buildings are protected, and loud demolition is kept to hours the principal approves. Fire alarm and sprinkler systems are kept in service or covered by a posted fire watch. After work, we clean and check each area so that students and teachers enter classrooms that are ready to use.
Summer windows and the first day of school
Education schedules run on the school calendar. Renovation work usually has to be done between the last day of class in the spring and the first day in the fall, which at this elevation gives a window of about ten weeks. We plan the work in stages: demolition and structural work in early summer, rough-in and enclosure in the middle and finishes, testing and furniture delivery at the end. Long-lead items such as roofing systems, switchgear and mechanical units are ordered during the school year to protect the window.
New buildings follow a similar logic. We work backward from the target opening to set permit, foundation and enclosure dates, and we show the board the risks that could move the date. A weather loss in the fall can be recovered with added crews if the plan has options built in, but only if the owner agrees in advance.
Campuses and the buildings on them
Education owners usually need more than classrooms. School buildings include gyms, kitchens, auditoriums and shops, and the owner may need student housing or labs on larger campuses. We have scope for education facility construction and for student housing where a college is adding residence space.
Because campuses sit beside other institutions, we coordinate with neighbors. A college building near a medical campus may share utilities or parking with healthcare systems, and a district building may share road or utility work with the city. Where the owner is a public body, our government and public sector experience in procurement and reporting applies directly.
Bring the bond program and the calendar
If your district or college is planning a bond-funded project, bring us the program and the calendar. We will return an estimate, a procurement recommendation and a schedule that protects the first day of class.
Questions Owners Ask
Can the first day of school move if construction runs late?
Rarely, which is why we build the schedule backward from it and include float for permit, inspection and delivery delays. If conditions threaten the date, we report it immediately with options such as added crews, phased occupancy or temporary systems.
How should we choose between bidding and construction management at risk?
Competitive bidding works best when the design is complete and the scope is stable. Construction management at risk is stronger when early cost input, phasing or a tight budget will shape design decisions. We can estimate the project under either method so the board sees the tradeoffs.
What happens to the budget if soils turn out worse than expected?
We recommend geotechnical borings before foundation design and carry an allowance for the likely solution. If conditions differ, we report the facts, the options and the cost within days so the district can decide with data.
How do you keep student areas safe during summer work?
Even in summer, camps, offices and maintenance staff are on site. We keep a separate construction entrance, fence work areas and coordinate with the district's facility staff on access and security.
Do you handle security and low-voltage systems?
We coordinate them with the district's security consultants and the technology team, and we schedule the commissioning of access control, cameras and communications ahead of the opening.