GILPIN COUNTY — Superintendent David MacKenzie informed the Gilpin County RE-1 Board of Education that the District Wastewater Interconnect Project is at a standstill, with ESCO Construction (ESCO) declining to submit a change order to connect the school facility to the new pipeline.

At the board’s regular meeting on June 1, 2026, MacKenzie reported that the District needs to engage in a competitive bidding and construction process which will delay the completion of the project.

MacKenzie updated the board on discussions with ESCO regarding completing the current project phase and dealing with issues involving the Highway 119 manholes and asphalt patches. The District’s attorney is scheduled to be on the agenda for the June 15 meeting to talk with the board about closure of the current contract with ESCO.

The next to last phase of the Wastewater Interconnect Project construction (remediation of the current waste treatment system will be the last phase) will bring a sewer pipe down the hill from the school and connect it to the new sewer pipe. Cost estimates for this phase have been around $0.5 million, to be paid from a reserve account.

MacKenzie also reported that the District is pursuing grants, one to fund a social worker to facilitate social emotional learning for students, and another to buy interoperability radios for staff that can communicate with the sheriff’s office dispatch directly.

In new business, the board voted unanimously to approve the meeting schedule for the next school year. The board will meet on the first and third Monday of each month starting in August.

The chair of the District Accountability Committee (DAC), Janelle Kirkpatrick, provided the board with a year-end report on DAC activities. The report highlighted the topics and discussions held by the committee.

Board President Joe Marr suggested that the DAC committee communicate with the board more often than once a year so the board could stay informed about DAC activities. MacKenzie thanked Kirkpatrick for being involved in the rebirth of the committee.

The board went into executive session for about an hour to discuss a personnel matter, specifically, the evaluation of the superintendent, pursuant to C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(f)(I), with the superintendent in attendance.

The next board meeting will be Monday June 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the school boardroom. The meeting will hear from the District’s attorney about their options for dealing with the sewer construction project.

Documents for this meeting, including the 2026/2027 board meeting schedule and a link to the District YouTube recording of these meetings can be found on the District website (gilpink12.co.us). Click on the About tab to access the Board of Education materials.