A new option for homeless students and additional mental health services drove discussion at a joint meeting between Loveland City Council and the Thompson School District Board of Education on Thursday.
A proposed shelter for homeless students in Thompson School District is gaining momentum, and could move forward as soon as next year, Loveland City Council learned on Thursday.
At a meeting between council and Thompson School District board, Todd Piccone, the district’s chief operations officer, discussed the evolution of the proposal and efforts to secure funding for it through the state’s American Rescue Plan Act grant program.
“This started getting quite a bit of traction in May, when there were conversations about us selling Monroe because of consolidation,” he explained. “During a meeting with the county and their staff, we identified this as an opportunity and then realized that we had a good opportunity to make this happen.”
TSD targeted the Monroe Early Childhood Education building for the proposed shelter, and then found they had a willing partner in Larimer County, which pledged a matching grant of $1.5 million toward the project.
Then TSD visited youth facilities in Boulder and Denver to learn more about operations, logistics and potential challenges.
“This is not something that’s done very much in Northern Colorado,” Piccone said. “There’s one in Boulder, there’s one in Denver, and that’s about all.”
The proposed Loveland facility would provide alternative living arrangements for up to 20-30 students, ages 14 to 21, and drop-in shelter services for others.
“That’s for the kids who don’t have a place to go when they leave school until later that night,” Piccone said. “They can drop in and do homework and there will be counselors there to help them.”
It will also serve as “transitional housing” for students who have aged out of the foster care system at age 18.
“That’s to set these kids up for success, and then working towards so they can actually get an apartment or buy a house,” he said.
When construction is completed, TSD will hand over operation of the facility to another entity, like The Matthews House in Fort Collins.
A preliminary estimate put the total price tag at the facility at around $6.3 million. Funds from the county and TSD come to about $4.5 million, leaving a $2.8 million gap that TSD hopes to fill with funds from the county’s share of $1.2 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding granted to the state.
Though there wasn’t much discussion of the item during the meeting, Loveland City Council members were enthusiastic about the idea.
“The youth shelter is a great idea,” Councilor Jon Mallo said. “It’s a great concept.”
Other topics
The joint meeting also included a discussion of joint projects between the city and TSD, and plans for future collaborations.
Loveland Public Works Director Mark Jackson spoke about efforts between Loveland transit and TSD to ensure all students have safe way to school, whether through road improvements or expanded bus services.
He also announced that youth ridership on city buses has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Dr. Melissa Schneider also announced the district’s inaugural youth mental health summit, slated for Nov. 16 at The Ranch. During a full-day event, representatives from TSD, the city of Loveland, Larimer County, and local mental health providers will discuss action to address anxiety and depression among students.
Northern Colorado Regional Airport Director Jason Licon also spoke about a proposed career and technical training center at the airport, to prepare students for the aviation or avionics industries, two fast growing employment sectors.
