There have been a lot of bad things that have come out of the COVID-19 era, but at Green Mountain High School there is some silver lining.

Renovations at the high school got off to a head start thanks to the school closing down in mid-March.

And thanks to that head start, Green Mountain High School Principal Colleen Owens estimates that the school renovations that include new furniture, LED lighting, paint, carpet, a new, more secure entrance and a new track, will be completed by January — at the latest.

“It’s a good six months earlier than we thought,” said Owens. “These are classrooms that still have the original 1970 carpet in them. It will feel like a new school. It really will.”

The renovations coming to Green Mountain High School were made possible by Jeffco voters who passed a $567 million bond for Jeffco Public Schools in November of 2018. The money has been primarily used to repair and renovate aging schools.

Owens said the new main entrance will feature buzzers on the doors for visitors that will stop them from being able to freely walk into the school.

“We have been worried for a long time about that. It should help alleviate a lot of the stress as far as school safety goes,” said Owens.

Green Mountain High School’s new track will be made of multi-use turf. With the surface, programs like the school’s marching band will be able to utilize the track, along with the school’s cross-country teams and its track and field teams, who will have areas for long jumping and high jumping.

“For us, it’s a consistency in training facilities,” said Clint Boston, who coaches Green Mountain High School’s girl’s track and field team. Boston said the team either had to train in the surrounding neighborhoods of the school or at Jeffco Stadium.

“As the kids get more competitive, I really think (the new track) will help,” he added.

Green Mountain High School will also receive an auxiliary gym and a fabrication lab where the school’s career and technical education courses will take place. The fabrication lab will also house Green Mountain Gear & Printing, a student-run nonprofit that provides custom printed clothing and gear for district organizations, local businesses and community residents.

“Once it’s done, it’s going to look so cool, be state of the art and hands on. It will be a really amazing learning experience for the kids,” said Owens.

Other improvements at the school will include new ceilings — a much needed renovation. In 2018, water leaked through Green Mountain High School’s library roof, into classrooms and into the school’s walls.

In total, the renovations are estimated to cost $14,361,000.

“Jeffco Public Schools is excited to see construction underway at Green Mountain High School. The renovations are going to transform the building — inside and out,” said Maureen Wolsborn, senior communications specialist for the school district.