D11's $775 Million Bond Passes: What It Means for Colorado Springs Schools

Colorado Springs School District 11 voters approved a $775 million bond measure in the November 2026 election — the first D11 bond to pass since 2006. That's a 20-year gap between capital investments, and the district's facilities list reflects it. Here's what D11 families need to know about where the money is going and what happens next.

Oversight Structure

The bond measure includes a citizen oversight committee to monitor how the $775 million is spent. This is a structure D11 is leaning into heavily — given the 20-year gap since the last bond and the size of this investment, accountability is a reasonable expectation from the community. The oversight committee will review expenditures and report to the public throughout the life of the projects.

D11 has committed to transparency on project timelines and costs. Families interested in serving on or following the work of the oversight committee should watch for announcements from the district in coming weeks.

What to Expect Next

Bond projects of this scale move in phases. The immediate next steps involve design work, community engagement sessions, and project prioritization — not construction. D11 families should expect the district to hold public meetings to gather input on project design and sequencing, particularly for the Holmes rebuild.

Construction timelines will depend on design completion, permitting, and contractor selection. Realistically, ground-breaking on major projects would likely begin no earlier than 2027, with the Holmes rebuild taking multiple years to complete.

For schools with smaller renovation or improvement allocations, timelines may be faster — these projects often proceed in parallel with larger construction work.

Context: Why It Took 20 Years

D11 has attempted bond measures before 2026, with mixed results at the ballot. This cycle, the district made a detailed case that aging facilities were affecting educational outcomes and the ability to attract and retain staff. The vote was close but successful, suggesting that voters are willing to invest in schools when the case for need is clearly made.

For COS families, the approval matters beyond just the named projects. It signals that D11 has a path to modernizing its infrastructure, which affects everything from classroom environments to school safety systems.

What's Next

D11 is expected to announce community engagement sessions on project planning in the coming weeks. Holmes Middle School families, in particular, should watch for communications about the rebuild timeline and any interim plans for the school's population during construction. The citizen oversight committee will also be announced — watch the district's website and newsletter for ways to stay informed.