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GROUND BROKEN FOR IVER C. RANUM CAMPUS

With Iver C. Ranum’s family in attendance, community members, students, and educators broke ground on the Ranum Reimagined campus on Wednesday, January 25. It was a chilly afternoon, but a heartwarming event for the family whose name is closely tied to the history of the district and community.

The first building on the campus will be the remodeled Ranum Middle School, which will provide rigorous, hands-on instruction with a focus on Career Technical Education (CTE) programming.

Planners envision a campus where students receive a traditional education at their home high school and travel to the Ranum campus to develop specialized skills that can lead to high-paying jobs after graduation or open doors for continued post-secondary learning. Front Range Community College, Red Rocks Community College and the Community College of Denver have all signed on as partners for the project.

Interior remediation work is already underway on the building which received initial funding from WPS Board of Education in the spring of 2022.

In December, the board took formal action to name the campus after longtime educator Iver C. Ranum. Ranum, who grew up in the region, began working in the district in 1935 and was named Superintendent in 1950. He served in that role for 25 years. During that presentation, the district detailed Ranum’s commitment to creating job opportunities for all students. You can read that presentation here.

“The word, ‘together’ gets to the heart of Ranum Reimagined,” said Superintendent Pam Swanson. “This really is a community-based investment that will benefit all of us by helping our students to develop rewarding, high-paying careers.”

Board President, Ken Ciancio, a 1982 graduate of Ranum told the crowd he envisions a day when the campus will be open to the entire community, allowing adults to access career opportunities by attending classes in their own community. “When this is complete, you will be very, very proud to continue to call this your home,” he said.

Ranum’s daughter Cheryl and three grandchildren nodded with approval as Cheryl then grabbed a shovel to help move the dirt. 

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