Nearly $100 million has been dedicated to build four schools in the San Luis Valley. It's part of the largest investment the state has ever made in school construction, and it's all being done through the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Program.

In many rural areas of Colorado, like the San Luis Valley, poor communities cannot afford or simply do not have the tax-base to continue to make improvements on their schools. The Sangre De Christo elementary school was originally built in 1922. It's been the educational starting place for many of the community’s families, several of which have children who are third and fourth generation students at the school.

Inside, cast iron radiators are the schools sole source of heat. The second floor drinking fountain doesn't work, and hasn't for several years. The scoreboard in the original gym still hangs on the wall, the score stuck at Home 79 Visitors 98, even though it has long since been converted into office space, a library, and a computer lab. "It's got a poor heating system, poor ventilation, poor insulation, windows probably need to be replaced, we have patched up new roof, things like that, but as I indicated we keep getting further and further behind," says Lynn Howard, the superintendent of Sangre De Christo District schools.

It is for this reason San Luis Valley schools will receive $87 million to replace two elementary schools in Alamosa, the elementary, middle, and high schools in Sangre De Christo district, and the high school in Sargent. It means a lot to families in these communities. "I think that the schools are the heartbeat of the communities, and if we don't have the schools here, we don't have a community, and i think this gives us some real hope that this community will be around for generations to come," says Mark Beiriger, the father of 3rd generation Sangre De Christo elementary school students.

The goal of the BEST program is to provide students with a 21 century school for a 21 century education. In total, the BEST program will grant close to $1 billion to K-12 capital construction throughout the state, over the next few years. Next year, in El Paso county alone, 12 school districts are set to receive more than $37 million. It is more than any other county in the state.

Here is a list of the districts and what they want to use the money on:

Colorado Springs District 11 - Fire alarm upgrades, $269,923.36

Ellicott District 22 - High School roof and fire alarm replacement, as well as high/middle/elementary school security cameras, $1,517,125.15

Miami-Yoder 60 JT - Phase II of new Pre K-12 school, $17,590,273.05

Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind - Historical building renovation, $10,601,140.00

Fountain District 8 - New elementary school, $3,261,354.77

The Classical Academy Charter - New school, $1,292,426.10

Calhan RJ-1 - Pre K-12 IAQ improvements/boiler replacements, $1,748,652.84

James Irwin Charter Middle School - Middle school RTU replacements, $321,677.25

Lewis-Palmer 38 - Elementary school boiler replacement, $39,241.84

Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy - K-4 roof replacement, $149,156.75

Edison 54 JT - New elementary school supplemental request, $78,737.00
and Junior/Senior high school exterior concrete stair replacement, modular FA, ACM abatement, roof repair, $131,706.00

Harrison 2- Replace middle school fire alarms, $134,998.40
and replace two elementary school boilers, $181,429.60