2017 Spring Five Star Journal

District Bond Sales
District bond sales
give Mountain Range
students real-life
economics lesson
Students see bond market in action,
take knowledge back to classroom
The passage of the Adams 12 Five Star
Schools’ $350 million school construction
bond on Nov. 8, 2016 provided a unique
opportunity for a group of Mountain Range
High School business students.
The district completed its first sale of general
obligation bonds on Dec. 1, 2016. The
initial sale of $285 million will fund the first
phase of the bond program that will invest
in every student, every school and every
community.
Mountain Range High School general
business and accounting students, as well
as students from the school’s investment
club, joined Superintendent Chris Gdowski
for the sale of bonds at the offices of Butler
Snow in downtown Denver.
For the students, the opportunity to
observe the public sale of district bonds
was an opportunity to watch the live bond
market in action; understand timing of rates;
and how supply and demand affect bond
pricing. Mountain Range business teacher
Hilary Wimmer called it “a super exciting”
opportunity for students.
“Typically students will do simulated stock
challenges where they are dealing with
virtual companies and virtual currency,”
she said.
Wimmer added that the bond sale
expanded students’ view of how the market
functions.
“Normally in classes, they only deal with
stocks and not bonds,” she said. “As investors
that’s not an accurate representation of an
investment mix.”
Watching the real market function was
underscored for students by the fact that
the sale of these bonds will have a positive
impact on the school and district where
they learn. Wimmer said it added a “personal
touch” to the process.
“[It] means so much more and helps them
learn at a deeper level than virtual simulated
investment scenarios,” she said.
The learning didn’t end after investors had
scooped up the remaining district bonds.
Armed with new understanding and confidence,
students plan to build their own
investment portfolios during the second
semester and create a budget based off
short-, mid- and long-term investment plans.
The bonds sold in December will be paid
off over the next 20 years and principal will
be retired at various points during that time
span. The remaining $65 million of the 2016
voter-approved bond program will be sold
in the next two to three years.
Visit www.adam12.org/bond to learn more
about the district’s bond program. •
Five Star Journal | page 25