District 11 updates board on Colorado Springs School of Technology plan; board presses on costs, location and equity

District officials presented an informational update on the Colorado Springs School of Technology (CSST), an innovation high school planned by Colorado Springs School District 11 (D11) that will focus on STEM pathways including cybersecurity, aerospace and entrepreneurship.

CSST presentation: District staff and Nathan Gorsch, CSST’s executive director, described the model as a District 11 school operating with an alternative governance structure permitted under the state innovation statute. The school is targeted to open next fall with an initial 9th-grade cohort of roughly 75–100 students and industry and higher-education partners providing curriculum and internship access. Gorsch described “Mission Mondays” for industry-led deep dives and said the school will pilot AI-enabled personalized tutoring tools.

Facility and finances: District staff said the preferred location is space on the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) campus adjacent to cybersecurity and higher-education partners. The board packet included a build-out estimate of approximately $2,500,000 for tenant improvements to convert roughly 7,700 square feet into flexible “adult workplace” learning space. Administration said UCCS has offered a long-term, rent-free lease in exchange for District-funded build-out; the district would still pay utilities and ongoing operating costs.

Board questions and administrative responses: Directors asked how students could participate in athletics and other activities if their academic base is offsite; staff said state law allows students access to programs at resident or attendance-area schools and the district will coordinate transportation. The district said special-education services will be provided by D11 as CSST is a D11 school. Board members also pressed administration on capacity, the expected long-term enrollment target (about 400–500 at full build-out) and whether CSST’s initial tenant improvements would support future growth. Administration said the $2.5 million estimate is for an initial build-out that would support the first year and that the district is in long-term lease discussions with UCCS (administration said the university is discussing a 30-year arrangement).

Funding sources and oversight: Staff described multiple funding options, including capital contingencies in the Mill Levy Override (MLO) and the district’s general capital reserves; several board members said if MLO funds are used, the MLO oversight committee would review the request and make a recommendation to the board. Board members also asked for clarity on who governs CSST and how accountability will operate; staff said CSST will operate under an educational service agreement with District 11 and will present regularly on performance and renewal metrics similar to the district’s existing innovations.

Public reaction during public comment: Several members of the public spoke during the meeting. Joseph Shelton, a district taxpayer, urged against allocating MLO funds to the CSST project while existing schools have urgent maintenance needs; Andrea Andrews, a D11 parent, called the allocation “baffling” and raised questions about Superintendent Goll’s board seat on CSST’s governing board and perceived conflicts of interest; Devin Summers, a high-school student, said that investing in a new, small program while other schools show structural problems is “disrespectful.” Separately, supporters of East Lake High School and Community Prep spoke in favor of renewing those charters, and East Lake’s renewal was approved later in the meeting.

Next steps: Administration and the CSST executive director said recruitment and hiring are underway and that more detailed financial requests would come back to the board if the district chooses to proceed with the UCCS build-out and the associated tenant-improvement funding request. The board postponed any immediate budget vote on the CSST tenant improvements during tonight’s meeting; the administration will return with more specific cost estimates and proposed funding sources.

Ending: District staff said CSST would continue to refine enrollment targets, staffing and facility plans and will return to the board for any required formal capital requests.