One of the largest public school districts in Colorado has announced plans to upgrade and renovate the vast majority of its nearly 60 school facilities.
To that end, members of the Colorado Springs School District Number 11 board of education have voted in favor of placing on this November’s ballot a general obligation bond to fund many of those projects.
The $350 million bond especially addresses repair and maintenance work in the large number of schools that were built in the 1960s or before.
Earlier this year, the district released a facilities and academic master plan emphasizing the need for immediate work at some 31 schools, with another 15 facilities in line for renovation and rebuilding work.
In a press release, Shawn Gullixson, president of the district’s board of education, said passage of the November bond was needed to allow “our schools to provide world class instruction in inspiring learning spaces.”
District officials have said that if the bond passes in November, work on many of District 11’s schools would be underway by early next year.
It is thought that the district currently has around $700 million in deferred facility maintenance and upgrade work.
By Garry Boulard
