Superintendent shares update on timeline for repairs

I want to provide you with a progress report on the work to remediate and repair Thunder Vista for the safe return of students and staff, and let you know about next steps.

It’s important to recognize, from the start, the extraordinary flexibility and commitment our students, families and staff have demonstrated over the past few weeks. The temporary learning plan we put in place has required patience, coordination and goodwill from many people, and I am deeply grateful for the way our community has stepped up to support students.

As in previous updates, I aim to be direct and transparent about where things stand, what we know and what comes next.

Timeline for returning to Thunder Vista

After completing additional inspections and consulting with multiple outside experts, we now expect repairs at Thunder Vista to take approximately four to six months. This means Thunder Vista students and staff will attend classes for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year at their current temporary learning locations, with their designated teachers, administrators and support staff.

While the fire damage itself was limited to the crawl space, the repairs required to ensure long-term safety are complex. We are working with forensic engineers, electrical specialists and construction professionals to design and implement a solution that addresses not just the immediate damage but the underlying conditions that contributed to it.

I had hoped we could return students and staff to Thunder Vista within weeks, not months. However, given the complexity of the work required, we must take the time necessary to complete these repairs properly and responsibly, with safety as our non-negotiable priority.

Cause of the Fire

As we shared last week, the experts hired to determine the cause of the fire indicated it was driven by shifting soils that damaged the electrical conduit in the crawl space. Electrical conduit is a protective tubing used to route and shield electrical wires from such things as damage, moisture and impact.

As is standard practice for many schools and other commercial buildings, Thunder Vista’s electrical infrastructure was installed underground.

Legal Action and Accountability

On Dec. 5, 2025, the District filed a lawsuit against the architectural and construction firms responsible for building Thunder Vista.

As noted above, shifting soils are not unusual in our region, and structures are routinely designed and constructed to withstand these conditions. We believe the firms hired for this project failed to meet their contractual and professional obligations to adequately isolate and protect the building’s utilities from soil movement. We believe recovering these costs is part of our obligation to steward public funds responsibly.

Remediation and Repair Plan

We are working with an engineering firm to conduct a full electrical audit of the building. This audit will inform the development of a comprehensive repair plan that addresses the full scope of the building’s electrical system to ensure long-term safety.

Contractors will also continue to complete repairs to the school’s plumbing system, which have been ongoing and were caused by shifting soil.

Over the past three weeks, crews have made substantial progress remediating smoke damage throughout the building. Remediation work will be completed alongside the electrical and plumbing repairs. 

Upcoming Community Meeting

We are committed to transparency throughout this process, and I recognize that many of you will have questions. We invite Thunder Vista families, staff and students to attend a community meeting where we plan to provide a progress update and an opportunity for you to ask questions.

• Date: Friday, Jan. 23
• Time: 5 - 6 p.m.
• Location: Educational Support Center, 1500 E. 128th Ave., Thornton, CO 80241

Our Commitment Moving Forward

At every stage of this process, my focus – and the focus of all staff – is to ensure we continue providing students safe, supportive learning environments. Beyond the meeting planned for Jan. 23, we remain committed to providing regular updates as this work progresses.

Thank you again for your patience and partnership.

Respectfully,

Chris Gdowski
Superintendent

Dec. 5, 2025: District Court Civil Case

Jan 6, 2026: District Court Civil Case (Amended)