Ribbon Cutting
October 28, 2025
I cannot believe the changes. Students are so lucky to have these spaces for learning. What an amazing school.
Director Amanda Proctor
Weld RE-5J Board of Education Treasurer and District C Representative
“It is my pleasure tonight to speak on behalf of the entire RE-5J board. So, it was about two years ago that Scott and I had a meeting and he floated this idea in front of me about reopening this building for the youth of Milliken. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of it. I just couldn't see the vision. So, the more Scott and I talked, the more I understood what it would mean. It would mean having more elementary seats in Milliken. It would mean utilizing district assets fully before going to the voters for another bond. It would also mean great change for the community and staff. So Scott, thank you again for being firm about the vision and bringing me along the way.
Alan, I cannot think of a more suitable leader than you to reopen this building and to bring the staff along in this process. To the staff in the building, you are incredible. Most of you went through an entire construction project at MES and then you moved here. So, thank you for putting in that extra effort and making every day here a success. To the Weld Trust - thank you again for the SmartLab. It's so exciting to see the students use it and I'm so excited for what the future of that lab will bring. Also thank you for partnering with us with the Cottage Collective. This is something that will not only touch this school community but the entire town of Milliken. So thank you for seeing a need and being a partner in the solution. Lastly to the community. I appreciate you being adaptable and open to this possibility.
Now it is with great pleasure that I am so excited to welcome MIS into the Weld RE-5J family. I'm so excited to see these students thrive and grow.”
Scott Nielsen
Weld RE-5J Superintendent
“It is with great pride and excitement that we gather here today to welcome a new school with an older container into our family. This school has been intentionally designed to create a deep sense of belonging for everyone that walks through the door; if you spend any time here, you get to see that from the staff, from the students, from the family members that walk in and out. These walls represent more than just a school building. It's a space with purpose, a place where curiosity is encouraged, creativity is celebrated, and every learner has the opportunity to thrive. From our music rooms to the SmartLab to a classroom set up with a giant Colorado map to our multiple gyms, Milliken Intermediate offers opportunities unlike any other elementary campus. Each space here has been thoughtfully designed to enhance learning, collaboration, and exploration; helping our students discover their passions, explore leadership, and build confidence in new ways. But Milliken Intermediate is not just for our students. It's for our entire community. With the addition of the public library, this building becomes a true hub of learning and a connection for families across Milliken and beyond. It reflects our shared belief that education and community go hand in hand.
We would not be here today without the hard work, vision, and dedication of so many people. To our incredible staff who have supported and lived this transition: the planning, the moving, and the hours getting ready. Thank you for your commitment and your care. Our facilities team, Josh, Donny, Eric, and their entire team, thanks for your tireless work and overcoming obstacles as they were presented. To Accenture and especially Travis, Matt, and James. Thank you for your partnership and for helping us prepare this beautiful space for students. To the leadership of both Milliken schools, Dr. Crill and Mr. Plaisance, your guidance over the last year has been nothing short of inspiring. Mr. Plaisance, your energy and intentionality in shaping the culture of this new school have set the tone for what Milliken Intermediate will become. A place where every student belongs and every student is celebrated.
Today's ribbon cutting marks the beginning of something special, a new chapter in learning, in community, and in belonging. Thank you all for being here to celebrate this incredible milestone with us. Give yourselves a hand.”
Alan Plaisance
Principal
“As we celebrate this exciting milestone, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to many stakeholders who've been vital to this Milliken intermediate transition success.
To our incredible staff: I want to first talk about the office team, Margarita, Kelly, Danny, and Patsy. Thank you for your tireless work, dedication, commitment to making the school great. You keep this place running with heart and efficiency every single day. You stepped into projects when we think of the next little thing that needs to be done. And you do it to make it a warm and welcoming environment for our students that are centered around honoring people.
To our amazing instructional and support staff, thank you for your positivity and fully embracing the transition to MIS. I know it wasn't always easy and it hasn't been easy, but your tenacity, professionalism, and belief in our mission have been essential to our success so far. Your work ethic is second to none and it truly shows in the way our students are thriving. I'm proud to serve alongside you.
Our phenomenal custodial team needs to be highlighted. They did so much. They were absolute warriors cleaning, preparing, transforming this building through multiple phases of remodeling. When I say that, I mean we would clean a space, tear it all up. They'd clean it again and then move these things and then we would do it again. I couldn't ask for a better team. And special thanks to our lead custodian, Laura, for her leadership and commitment to excellence.
To our students: from day one, they came in ready to be their best version of themselves. They've shown curiosity, respect, and determination to grow in both academics and character. I couldn't be more proud of the way they've shown up every single day to pursue excellence.
To our families and the Milliken community, we know that students are most successful when schools and family work together and that is exactly what's happening. Our partnerships, encouragement, and support that has come from them has made a difference in this success. Thank you for believing in MIS and our kids.
To our district and partners. We are incredibly thankful for continued support from our school board. So, thank you to the members that are here and those that are not here as well. Thanks to Superintendent Nielsen and Assistant Superintendent Mrs. Kramer and to the entire district leadership team. This has been a full team effort. I do appreciate your support. A special thanks to Josh with Facilities and his entire team for having the pride in putting our best foot forward, not just for today, but every day. Also, a big shout out to the finance team. And I know you say finance team? Yep. There were a lot of things that needed to be purchased. There were times I was like one more thing and I'm calling finance and saying hey we need this one more thing to be successful. Every single time it was okay and ‘we'll order it for you and we'll make sure it gets delivered on time’. A big special thanks to the Tech Team. Every single one of our classroom spaces we asked the teachers, 'How do you want that space?' And we came in, we took everything down and they put everything back up. So teachers had what they wanted and what they needed to start school.
One other special thanks to Accenture. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for stepping in and really facilitating for those who may not know, but we were up against it. There were some deadlines and we were going to open, but we were like, where are we in this? And James, I know you didn't want recognition, but I'm going to give it to you. Thank you.
So, where are we going as a school? We've had an outstanding first quarter and I'm really pleased where we are. We've established strong routines, expectations, and a positive culture. It's throughout our entire building. It's who we want to be and who we are every single day. We've implemented different things like Scott and so many others have talked about a SmartLab. We've also talked about our music options. Students love these hands-on activities and engage in their learning every single day with hands-on experience. Through our high expectations and meaningful partnerships with families, our students are growing both academically and socially emotionally. We're building a community where every child is seen, supported, and encouraged to recognize their unique genius. At MIS, we also view everyone as a leader, and we strive to make sure everyone has the opportunity to lead. There was a lot of work before we got here. Work that happened and most of the teachers that have moved over were teachers and staff members and some are still shared between Milliken Elementary and Milliken Intermediate. They work very very hard to support students every day and we come over with a strong foundation and I'm really proud of that strong, strong foundation. So Dr. Crill, thank you for being a partner the last couple years and we're in a spot now where we are walking in with a high academic performance rating that we are going to continue to push. We are just getting started is the way I look at it.”