Chavez Huerta's new 'transitional' middle school opens in west Pueblo

Ersilia Cruz Middle School, part of Chavez Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to open a "transitional" school building at 213 Ruberson Drive.

As a transitional building, the school will open as a middle school but eventually be converted to an elementary school once a permanent middle school attached to Dolores Huerta Preparatory High School is built.

Construction of a permanent middle school and remodeling of Dolores Huerta Preparatory High School will begin in November or December, Chavez Huerta Chief Business Officer Jack Bay said.

Construction on the Chavez Huerta campus is funded by $35 million in Building Excellent Schools Today grants from the Colorado Department of Education. Aside from a corridor attaching the permanent middle school to Dolores Huerta Preparatory High School, renovations to the high school include 14 new classrooms, kitchen upgrades, construction of a computer lab and a science lab.

As with the transitional Ersilia Cruz Middle School building, it will be a quick turnaround for construction crews to complete the permanent middle school and renovations to the high school. Chavez Huerta is obligated by the state education department to finish construction by May 2024 but everything could be completed sooner.

"We built the current building in a little over 16 months and so we're hoping at the same schedule," Bay said. "We can actually do the same thing. We've got a little bit more time than we had for the first one. ... From here, we've got 22 months. We don't think it's going to take that long."

Features of the transitional middle school building include a commons area with an upper-level balcony, a larger gym for Lu interactive games, a kitchen that allows for on-site baking, an outdoor theater and learning areas along with dedicated rooms for dance and mariachi classes.

"This building is the sign of things to come," Chavez Huerta President/CEO Hal Stevens said. "This is only the beginning. This building along with our soon-to-be remodeled high school, and our newest building, which is still in the pre-construction phase, are going to usher in a new era and a new level of academic success for all of our students."

Enhanced Mariachi, Folklorico, theater and drama programs are in the works at Chavez Huerta, Stevens said. The future will also see the addition of Future Farmers of America, golf and tennis programs. An upcoming partnership with the Civil Air Patrol will allow high school students to receive pilot's licenses, drone certifications and cybersecurity certifications.

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Construction on Chavez Huerta campus symbolic of growth on Pueblo's West Side

Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar, City Councilman Dennis Flores, representatives of the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Chamber of Commerce were among those in attendance at the grand opening for the transitional middle school.

When Gradisar took the podium to address a crowd of Chavez Huerta parents, students and educators, he spoke not just of the development on the school's campus, but also of development in the surrounding West Side neighborhood.

"The city has committed to constructing 18th Street so that this neighborhood will have direct access to Pueblo Boulevard," he said. "We are putting on the final touches."

Gradisar also mentioned the "West Side Connector" project, which is designed to connect the West Side to downtown Pueblo. The project was recently awarded over $16.8 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Grant Program.

"This grant will building Spaulding (Avenue) and Sun Mountain (Boulevard) from 24th to 31st Street here, including two roundabouts," Gradisar said. "It will rehabilitate 70 West Side bus stops to comply with ADA standards and it will also allow for the planning and design of a bridge on 24th Street so that downtown can be accessed much more easily by the West Side."

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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at JBartolo@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Chavez Huerta opens new transitional middle school building in Pueblo