VIDEO [ASL/CC] - Support RMDS! Learn more about Rocky Mountain Deaf School needs your support to secure a location for an appropriate building design that would help to meet the educational and safety needs of RMDS students.



The "2090 Coalition (Save Our Park)" is a group of local residents in Lakewood who are petitioning for an election over the building of a new school at 2090 South Wright Street for Rocky Mountain Deaf School (RMDS), a Jeffco Charter School. RMDS wants to move from a strip mall in Golden to this property owned by Jefferson County School District.



RMDS can build a 46,000 square-foot new school with an appropriate building design that would help to meet the educational and safety needs of maximum 100 RMDS students.

This school would be nationally recognized and the first in the US to be built and designed by the Deaf, for the Deaf. RMDS must begin building on this property before November or risk losing a $13 million dollar grant from the BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) program through the Colorado Department of Education. The BEST grant does not use taxpayer dollars - the funding comes primarily from lottery funds.



On June 25, 2012 the city of Lakewood approval the RMDS rezoning request of 2090 South Wright Street so RMDS can purchase the land and build a K-12 school. This land is currently owned by Jefferson County Schools and is zoned for a K-12 school for 300-400 students.



The 2090 Coalition supporters must collect over 3000 Lakewood registered voter signatures by Aug 10. If they succeed, the petition would force the Lakewood city council to revisit the decision. If the council refuses to overturn the rezoning, the issue would go to the voters this fall. The 2090 Coalition is jeopardizing the possibility of a new school for RMDS by delaying the process to the BEST grant deadline.



2090 Coalition petitioners have been seen in several locations spreading incorrect information to gain signatures on the petition which will interfere with the rezoning process of the 2090 South Wright Street property. Their platform is "Save Our Park" and they are telling residents whom they approach that they are "preserving open space". This land had never been open space nor has it ever belonged to the city of Lakewood (something the city's own attorney attests to). The developers zoned it for a school in 1973 and the fortunate residents have been enjoying these 10 acres since then. The proposed school would still benefit the residents and they would still be able to enjoy the adjoining 40 acres that are zoned as open space. Please - we need your support! Help to share the truth about this land and support Rocky Mountain Deaf School.



Citizens Group Wants Voters to Decide on Building Deaf School.




Get the facts on this site: http://www.2090coalitionfacts.com/ for more information.



To share your support for RMDS: http://www.facebook.com/FamiliesForRockyMountainDeafSchool



More details at Deaf Echo: http://deafecho.com/2012/07/not-in-my-backyard-the-truth-about-the-fight-for-a-deaf-schools-future/