Jenkins reconstruction: district outlines phased tear‑out, modular plan and a two‑story addition

Colorado Springs School District 11 on April 23 presented a multi‑phase plan to repair and rebuild damaged sections of Jenkins Middle School and to deliver a reimagined academic wing focused on flexible learning spaces.

District leaders and their construction partners said initial structural repairs have begun and that the presentation offered a preferred option for a two‑story academic addition to replace the failing seventh/eighth grade wing. The work is organized to allow partial occupancy in August 2025 and full occupancy by August 2026, district staff said.

Scope and phasing - Immediate repairs: crews have started demolition in the media center and obtained micropile and repair permits to underpin and stabilize slabs that have experienced settlement. The contractor said micropiles will separate a new structural slab from unstable soils beneath the existing media center. - Partial occupancy plan: to return students to school in August 2025, administrators plan to erect temporary modular classrooms in the bus loop while repairing required corridors and building fire‑rated barriers so occupied and construction areas remain isolated. - Replacement and reimagination: the recommended concept demolishes the existing 7th/8th grade wing and builds a two‑story addition on the south side with a glass bridge connector; the addition would include west‑facing learning spaces, a learning plaza/amphitheater and a reimagined two‑story media center with labs and a mezzanine learning stair.

Code, inspections and schedule District and construction staff said they are working closely with the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD), Colorado Springs Fire Department and state building officials. The team said current planning assumes the “worst‑case” requirement — full sprinklering of the affected work areas and possibly the whole building — and that the budget estimate accounts for that possibility. Contractors stated many permitting reviews and inspections have been fast‑tracked and that weekly coordination meetings with city and county building/fire officials are helping the timeline.

Budget and approval timeline The district and the design/build team presented a construction budget framework and said administrators plan to present a contract modification (a guaranteed maximum price or maximum contract modification) at a special board meeting next week to keep the schedule on track. Superintendent Gahl asked the public to note that the district will include public comment for any special meeting that contains an action item affecting community funds.

Community and access Administrators committed to on‑going community outreach, weekly updates on the district Jenkins web page and additional town halls planned over May to explain temporary space, modular placement and the design process for the new academic wing.

Why it matters Administrators said the work addresses an immediate safety and usability problem, and the replacement addition is an opportunity to modernize instruction spaces (labs, amphitheater, outdoor learning areas) and return students to a fully functioning campus as quickly as possible.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the board work session transcript and include only persons identified in that discussion.