Explore Campus Expansion PK-8

Explore Campus/Preschool on Poze - 2022 Mill Levy

In August, the Board of Education approved the selection of JHL Constructors and Hord | Coplan | Macht Architects (HCM) to serve as the design and construction team for the new school facility to house Explore Primary.

Explore Primary will expand the early childhood education opportunities available in Mapleton, creating a safe, engaging state-of-the-art center to support the district’s youngest brilliant minds, preschool through second grade. The new building will be constructed next to Explore PK-8, on 104^th Avenue and York Street. Once complete, the current Explore building will be converted to serve students in grades 3-8, creating more classrooms in one of the fastest-growing areas of the district.

The JHL/HCM team designed and built the current Explore building on time and on budget. The building has performed well since its opening, and we are excited to continue our partnership with JHL/HCM. This project is made possible by generous community support of Mapleton’s 2022 Mill Levy override, aimed at addressing important improvements and renovations to the district’s “Final Four” buildings. Explore Primary will replace Preschool on Poze, which is currently housed in one of the oldest buildings in the district.

Preschool on Poze, originally Clayton Intermediate School, is home to a thriving early learning setting. Unfortunately, as one of Mapleton’s oldest buildings – constructed in 1960 and designed for 5th and 6th graders – the structure leaves much to be desired for the district’s youngest learners. Using funds from the 2016 bond, the building received a very modest renovation two years ago. Mapleton’s long-term facilities plan includes opening a new early learning center in the district, potentially near the new Explore PreK-8 on 104th Avenue and York Street.  

Since opening, Explore PreK-8 has been at capacity at almost every grade level, and more families are interested in attending Explore every school year. The design and construction teams that helped establish the vision of the Explore PreK-8 site, Hord Coplan Macht and JHL, have put together a design that changes the current Explore building into a 3rd-8th grade school, expanding enrollment opportunities for those grade levels. Next to Explore, Mapleton is considering building a PreK-2 school, offering expanded access to early learning and creating a “campus-like” environment for families.