About Us

The Primero Reorganized School District No. 2

PK-12

The Primero Reorganized School District No.2 (Primero RE-2) is a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade public school district in south central Colorado serving 220 students, located an easy 22 miles west of Trinidad along scenic State Highway 12, the "Highway of Legends," about ten miles north of the New Mexico border.

PRIMERO = "FIRST"

The Primero School District region first opened separate schools in 1866 in Cordova, Coke Ovens, and Primero. These were the very first schools in Las Animas County. Schools opened in Stonewall in 1875 and in Weston in 1876. Wet Canyon started a school in 1889 and Burro Canyon started a school in 1890. Madrid opened a school in 1872 and Vigil in 1879. Primero opened another school in 1898.

Primero's Mascot is the Bulldog and school colors are ORANGE and BLACK.

SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS

For much of the second half of the 20th Century, the district operated two school buildings, a 7-12 junior-senior high school in Medina Plaza (the current campus location) and a K-6 elementary school in Weston. The district used to operate a gymnasium in Valdez many decades ago, as well. Weston Elementary School closed in 1991 and consolidated with Primero Junior-Senior High School in the current PK-12 building located halfway between Segundo and Weston on Highway 12.

The District conducted a partial renovation and expansion program in 2002 without additional bonding that resulted in a larger building in the Medina Plaza site, including a new elementary wing, mini-gym, and computer lab. A new bus barn was built on the east side of the campus in 2004.

The district is very proud of its football field, home to the Primero-HTA Bulldogs!

Current and upcoming projects include a septic system upgrade in 2006, a paving project for the east parking lot in 2007, and fund-raising efforts for an expanded playground and a new baseball field in a new community park.

Community Recreation Park

Barbra Diller, Parent, and Lee Daugherty, former Athletic Director, worked hard in 2006-07 to raise funds and write grants for the Community Recreation Park-Baseball Field project. The entire funding has been raised. In April 2007, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) awarded the project $29,000 towards the playground surface. The Gates Family Foundation of Denver awarded a $25,000 challenge grant to the project, as well, in May 2007. In June 2007, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) awarded a $153,000 grant to the project.

Financial and Facility Needs of the District

Future renovation or expansion project ideas include:

• building a new industrial arts center

• creating a true secondary science lab

• upgrading older secondary classrooms

• providing space for such elective classes as music and theatre

• revising the main entrance to the school building

• increasing the quality of security and safety equipment and facilities in the building

• fixing our leaking roof and addressing mold in the ceiling

• improving the quality of ventilation in the facility

• constructing new housing for staff

• building a new track

These projects and other ideas, as formulated by the Board, staff, students, parents and community, will be subject to funds on hand and potential increases in district funding in the future and in accordance with board policy and statute.

The Board of Education hired George K. Baum Company of Denver in April 2007 to help with a bond and mill levy override election project for the November 2007 general election. The Board also selected Neenan Archistructure of Fort Collins to assist with the design-build process for new and renovated facilities.

A Community Forum was held on May 21, 2007 to hear the public's input regarding financial and facility needs of the district. Forty people attended this interactive session. A Collaborative Design Session (CDS) was held on May 30, 2007, faciliated by Neenan, to design the facility upgrades and improvements.

In July 2007, the Neenan Company presented the Collaborative Design Report generated from the CDS on May 30. In August 2007, the Board of Education decided to place a $10.7 million bond request to voters on the November 2007 ballot, along with two mill levy override questions. There are significant health and safety needs, as well as critical program needs, that must be addressed through a bond and mill levy overrides. Read about them more here.

In November 2007, voters approved the bond and two mill levy overrides on a 2-1 margin. Design of the facility upgrades, additions and renovations will occur from November 2007 to May 2008. Construction will begin in May 2008 and continue through January 2009 for the main part of the school, and through June 2009 for the staff housing.