Building More Than a School: How Jaynes is Strengthening Community in Dolores, Colorado

In the small town of Dolores, Colorado, something bigger than a construction project is taking shape.

Backed by Colorado’s BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) Grant Program, the nearly $30 million Dolores Schools project represents more than new classrooms and facilities. It’s an investment in rural education, local pride, and long-term community growth. And for Jaynes, it’s a clear reflection of a core belief that construction isn’t just about buildings, it’s about people and community.

Located in Colorado’s rural western slope, Dolores is the kind of place where everyone knows each other. With just a handful of businesses and a tight-knit population, the arrival of a major municipal construction project cannot go unnoticed. This project has become part of Dolores’ daily life.

“This is the biggest thing happening in town,” said Superintendent Nicholas Valencia. “People stop us at the gas station, the coffee shop, everywhere, and ask how the project is going. Everyone’s invested in the building.”

That level of visibility comes with responsibility. And for the Jaynes team, it’s an opportunity.

A Jaynes Project Rooted in Community

The Dolores Schools project is unique not just in scale, but in how deeply it’s embedded in the community. Built on an active K–12 campus serving roughly 750 students, the work impacts hundreds of students and staff every day.

Navigating that environment requires more than technical expertise; it demands trust, communication, and respect.

“We’re working right alongside the school while it’s in session,” Valencia explained. “Students are walking through designated paths around our site, classes happening next door to active construction. Safety is primary, and that requires a true partnership.”

That partnership extends far beyond the pathway fences.

Jaynes team members regularly engage with students, from hosting site tours to speaking at career days. In one memorable moment, a group of kindergarteners gathered outside the fence just to watch steel being erected, an early glimpse into the world of construction.

“There’s a lot of curiosity,” Valencia said. “And we try to meet that. If students want to learn about what we’re doing, we make time.”

Full Circle Moments

Some of the most meaningful impacts of the project are the ones you can’t plan.

Two structural steel welders currently working on the project, brothers Zach and Will Taylor, are graduates of Dolores High School. They learned their trade in the same school that they are helping renovate.

Today, they’re back, helping build its future, working for a Jaynes subcontractor on the project.

“It’s a full-circle moment,” Valencia said. “They came through the high school technical program here, then moved away for career opportunities, and now they’re back, contributing to the next generation.”

Stories like that reflect the long-term value of investing in rural education, not just for students, but for entire communities.

Living the Work

Because of the project’s remote location, roughly two hours from most major population centers, Jaynes team members have done more than commute. They’ve immersed themselves in the community.

Valencia lives locally during the week. Senior Superintendent, Mark Trujillo and team member Jason Manley are also embedded in town, forming relationships that go beyond the jobsite.

“It’s a small town,” Valencia said. “So you get to know people. You have dinner together, you run into families, you build real relationships.”

That presence has a tangible impact. Local businesses, from restaurants to the local hardware store, see increased financial activity from Jaynes’ project crews. The project brings added economic energy and momentum to the town.

“When you bring so many new workers into a small community, that makes an impact,” Valencia said. “Our crews frequent the local businesses, and it creates more business for locals.”

Jaynes’ Focus on Community-Building

For Jaynes, projects like Dolores aren’t just another job. K-12 facilities like this are projects that Jaynes excels at and actively seeks.

Interestingly, Nicholas Valencia left Jaynes a few years back to pursue an opportunity at another contractor. But after a year, he realized the value of a career at Jaynes and came back. “Projects like this one are why I came back to Jaynes,” Valencia said. “I wanted to be part of projects where you can see the impact, where you’re building something meaningful and forming real relationships.”

That motivation to make a difference shows up in how the Jaynes team operates. On a lean project team, roles blur.

Superintendents pick up tools. Problems are solved collaboratively. Everyone contributes.

“We’re not just managing the job, we’re part of it,” Valencia said. “That’s the culture.”

It’s also what sets Jaynes apart, particularly in rural markets where trust and reputation carry weight.

Building for the Future

The Dolores K-12 project is complex, spanning multiple buildings, challenging soil conditions, and active campus logistics. Its success will ultimately be measured by something simpler: its impact on the people who use it.

From students and teachers to local tradespeople and business owners, the project is already shaping the community’s future.

And when it’s complete, it won’t just stand as a new facility. It will stand as proof that when construction is done right, with care, collaboration, and a commitment to community, it builds something far more lasting than structures alone.

Main photo: Meet Your Dolores, Colorado K-12 Project Team ( from Nicholas Valencia)

Geoffery Siffring- from F&M Architects
Isabella James- from F7M Architects
Sebastian Toalson- from BVH Architecture
Jennifer Davis- from BVH Architecture
Max MClosky- from F&M Architecture
Shay Davis- Jaynes Project Manager
Mark Trujillo- Jaynes Senior Superintendent
Matt Prinster- Artaic Group Owners Representative
Nicholas Valencia- Jaynes Superintendent

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