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As of April 26, 2026, Boulder Valley School District's Arapahoe Campus is fully back in action after a $29.6 million renovation. The project transformed a 1960s-era building at 6600 E. Arapahoe Ave. into a modern center for Apex Technical Education, while also giving Arapahoe Ridge High School and Boulder Universal K-12 Online School dedicated spaces of their own. The work was funded through the district's $350 million capital construction bond, approved by voters in 2022.
The overhaul involved far more than new paint and furniture. It reorganized the campus into career clusters, grouping classrooms, labs, and workshops by industry so students can move naturally through related coursework. Common areas also give students room to collaborate across pathways—something the old building never offered.
Apex Principal Ming Scheid said industry professionals helped shape both the new spaces and the new curriculum. Their feedback led to expanded health-related programs, including medical assisting, pharmacy technician, and behavioral health tracks. Scheid said the intent was to make every space feel like a real workplace.
"We wanted it to be real. We wanted it to look like a workplace," she said. "It is so bright and full of life and conducive to the learning we're trying to accomplish."
A major addition is the pharmacy technician pathway, which now allows students to earn a pharmacy technician certificate or pursue a pharmaceutical sciences associate degree through Front Range Community College. The learning space is modeled on a working pharmacy, giving students experience with the layout and workflow they will encounter in retail or hospital settings.
The health sciences wing also includes a "body room" with a synthetic cadaver and a 3D digital human anatomy display. A new clinical exam room supports patient-assessment practice, and the updated Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) space features classroom seating plus medical bays for hands-on training. A vehicle-extraction simulator—with a steel frame, steering wheel, and car seats—lets future first responders practice freeing patients from damaged vehicles.
Olivia Calderon, a Fairview High junior who takes classes at Apex, said the medical spaces have changed how she learns. "We do all different types of learning, and it's a lot of hands-on learning," she said. "I really love it."
The most complex part of the renovation, according to Scheid, was the professional-level studio for the film and video arts pathway. The space is designed to mirror commercial production settings, with equipment and sight lines meant to give students real studio experience.
Existing programs also received significant upgrades. Automotive collision and repair, construction trades, and welding all got refreshed spaces. Welding gained new indoor and outdoor stations, giving the program's 37 students more chances to work with equipment during class. Welding teacher Joseph Foden said the difference is obvious.
"The students are a lot happier," he said. "We can use the entire area."
Other additions include a prototype room stocked with 3D printers and a courtyard with teaching solar panels. Since the main renovation wrapped up, two additional pathways—aviation and aerospace, and quantum manufacturing—have opened, expanding the campus's career-focused course list even further.
Boulder Universal, the district's K-12 online school, now operates from a more functional and welcoming space. Principal Eric Moroye said the school runs a blended model, with most students expected on campus about once a week. The renovated facilities include a large main classroom with a variety of workspaces and a small science lab called "the Hive." A second, more traditional classroom is used for testing.
Boulder Universal students also take monthly field trips to places like Boulder's federal laboratories, Rocky Mountain National Park, and area art and history museums. Moroye said the combination of online instruction and in-person experiences gives students the flexibility of remote learning without losing connection to classmates and teachers.
Arapahoe Ridge High School, the district's small alternative high school, also gained a central home. Principal Kiffany Lychock said the school previously had classrooms and offices spread across the building, which made it feel fragmented. Now students and staff share a cohesive area with four new classrooms and a common room featuring a ping pong table and other games.
The school started the year with about 130 students, and enrollment typically grows throughout the year. More than half of the students attend for just part of the day while earning elective credits through jobs in the community. Lychock said the renovation sends a deeper message to students who have found traditional schools challenging.
"For kids that traditionally were underserved, to have a space that's new and modern is a big deal," she said. "It shows them that the district cares about them."
The Arapahoe Campus project is one part of a larger district-wide effort to modernize aging schools. The 2022 bond program has prioritized career-and-technical-education facilities, reflecting growing demand for skilled workers in fields like health care, construction, and advanced manufacturing. By designing spaces that match real workplaces, the district aims to help students move smoothly from high school into further training or employment.
Hands-on programs require more than standard classrooms. Welding labs, film studios, pharmacy counters, and medical bays all need specialized layouts and equipment. The renovated Arapahoe Campus now offers those conditions, giving teachers the tools they need and students an environment that feels genuinely professional.
For Apex, the transformation marks a turning point after years of operating in a building not designed for modern technical education. As Scheid put it, the change is difficult to overstate.
"It's not even comparable to what it looked like before."
