Nearly 20 schools that are part of a growing district in Colorado Springs may see upgrade work depending up the fate of an $88 million bond that will be voted on next month.
The Widefield School District 3, with an enrollment of around 9,400 students, is located on the southeastern side of the city. It is one of the oldest districts in the state, dating to the fall of 1874.
In recent years district officials have made mention of the declining state of many of the district’s schools, some of which date to the late 1950s.
The bond project listing notes that the North Preschool at 209 Leta Drive, which was built in 1956, is in need of an air conditioning upgrade and general building renovation work; while the Widefield High School at 615 Widefield Drive, which opened in 1958, needs new a new roof in sections of the building, as well as both electrical and air conditioning system upgrades.
Ten of the 17 schools in need of upgrades were built between 1956 and 1964 during a time when the district’s total enrollment was less than half of what it is today.
The newest building on the list, the Grand Mountain School K-8 Computer Science Center, located at 11060 Fontaine Boulevard, which needs both new classroom and multipurpose room space, was built in 2019.
The last time voters in the district were presented with a proposed bond was in 2017 when they approved by a 56% to 44% margin a $49.5 million question.
Earlier this year the district entered a partnership with the group Careers in Construction Colorado and Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity to build 41 affordable income homes that will be made available to staffers.
October 10, 2025
By Garry Boulard
