JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colorado — Nearly 7,000 people responded to survey from the Jefferson County School District about the possible demolition of Columbine High School, where 12 students and a teacher were killed in 1999.
The survey closed on June 14, according to the district and the results are currently being analyzed. They could be released in mid-July at the earliest, the district said.
If the survey, which targeted Jeffco Public Schools families and staff, shows positive results, the district would host community forums and polling of Jefferson County voters to test the proposal in detail and potential ballot language in August.
Earlier this month, the district superintendent sent a letter parents outlining the possibility of demolishing the school and replacing it with a new building.
RELATED: Expert says demolishing Columbine High School would have positive psychological implications
Some of the ideas include demolishing the current building and replacing it with fields. They would keep the name, mascot and colors and possibly keep Hope Library and make it a cornerstone of the new building.
The Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education and administration are exploring the concept of asking voters for an additional $60-$70 million at the polls at some point in the future to fund the construction, the letter says.
The move comes in part due to the morbid curiosity that has surrounded the school since the deadly shooting there in 1999, according to the letter.
"School shooters refer to and study the Columbine shooting as a macabre source of inspiration and motivation," the letter from Dr. Jason Glass says. "Perhaps influenced by the 20th anniversary of the shooting, over the past 11 months the number of people trying to enter the school illegally or otherwise trespassing on school property has been increasing – now to record levels."
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Next with Kyle Clark
