D11's $775M Bond Is On Track to Pass. Here's What Happens Next for Colorado Springs Families.

Colorado Springs voters approved District 11's $775 million bond measure in the November 3 election, with unofficial results showing Issue 4A passing with approximately 51.68% of votes in favor. The results are still pending official county certification, but the measure is on track — and for D11 families, that means it's time to shift focus from whether it passed to what comes next.

This is the largest single bond in El Paso County history and the first D11 bond since 2006. That two-decade gap left the district with significant deferred maintenance and aging school buildings across Colorado Springs. The bond is meant to address that backlog, and the district now has to deliver on a long list of commitments it made to voters to earn that yes.

Teacher Pay

One of the more significant non-construction commitments tied to the bond is about teacher compensation. The D11 board committed that if the bond passed, it would redirect mill levy override funds currently used for facilities toward teacher pay. That commitment was a deliberate part of the district's pitch to voters, and it's worth watching to see how the board follows through as budget planning for the 2027-28 school year begins.

Citizen Oversight

The board has also proposed a citizen oversight committee to monitor how bond funds are spent. The structure and membership of that committee haven't been finalized, but the proposal reflects a standard expectation for large public bonds: voters want to know the money is being used as promised. How the district sets up and staffs that committee will be an early signal of how seriously it's taking accountability on the project.

What the Timeline Looks Like

Bond construction projects of this scale don't start immediately. The district will need to finalize project scoping, hire architects and contractors, and work through permitting processes. For most projects, families should expect planning phases to run through 2027 before ground breaks on major renovations. Holmes Middle School, as the highest-profile rebuild, will likely see the most public updates early on.

The certification of results by El Paso County is the next formal step, expected within the standard post-election certification window. Once certified, the district can begin issuing bonds in tranches to fund specific projects as they move forward.

What's Next

Keep an eye on D11 board meeting agendas over the next several months — the citizen oversight committee appointment process, initial project prioritization, and updates on the Holmes Middle School design timeline will likely be among the first substantive agenda items. The district publishes board meeting information at d11.org.

If you have a student at Holmes Middle School or in one of the other schools slated for significant work, it's worth attending a board meeting or community forum as project planning gets underway. The decisions made in the first year of a bond this size tend to set the pace for everything that follows.