Denver Suburb To Lose 18 Acres To Nearby City, At High School's Request

A private high school with a main campus in Aurora and adjacent land in Centennial wants its entire 82-acre campus to reside in one city. 

Regis Jesuit High School will be one step closer to this reality come mid-July when Centennial will let go of or disconnect from 18 acres the school owns, according to The Denver Post. 

Regis Jesuit, which enrolls about 1,600 students, opened its doors in Aurora more than 35 years ago. 

In 2017, it purchased an 18-acre property in Centennial, southeast of the main campus, with plans to develop the land for additional parking and athletic uses, according to Regis Jesuit’s website. The school has since built seven tennis courts on the land near Arapahoe Road and South Olathe Street.

Having the school’s campus in two cities has caused confusion and aggravation, Diana Rael, vice chair of Regis Jesuit’s board of trustees, told The Denver Post. The school has used two entities for water and emergency services.

Regis Jesuit also had to work with Aurora’s and Centennial’s planning departments, according to CBS News. 

With plans to build additional athletic facilities on the property, Regis told Centennial that having the new fields in Aurora will save the school money on water tap fees and municipal services that it needs to build additional athletic facilities.

Hoping to simplify its campus, Regis Jesuit initiated what is called municipal disconnection two years ago to move the 18-acre property out of Centennial’s jurisdiction. The goal is to have the property annexed by Aurora.  

The disconnection was approved by the Centennial City Council in mid-June. When it goes into effect next month, Regis Jesuit can file a formal annexation application with Aurora. In the meantime, the property will be overseen by Arapahoe County, according to The Denver Post. 

Under the disconnection agreement, Regis Jesuit isn’t permitted to develop a stadium, a mortuary, after-hours clubs, group homes, marijuana dispensaries or a sexually oriented business on the undeveloped land. Any buildings on the property must be built as far west on the property as possible, and access to the land must enter from Lewiston Way, The Denver Post reported.

Developing the 18-acre property is "only the beginning" of Regis Jesuit’s campus master plan, according to the school’s website. The school added a 65K SF science and innovation center in 2023.