COLORADO SPRINGS — Jenkins Middle School will close by the end of the day Friday because the building has structural damage, as cited by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. Colorado Springs School District 11 has emailed parents about the timeline for the rest of the school year.
The middle school is on Austin Bluffs Parkway, near Dublin Boulevard.
The district email sent Tuesday says Jenkins Middle School, Russell Middle School, and Doherty High School will be closed Monday (January 20) and Tuesday (January 21) to prepare the buildings for the extra students. The plan for Wednesday (January 22) is for sixth graders and their teachers to go to Russell Middle School and seventh and eighth graders and their teachers to go to Doherty High School for the rest of the school year.
News5 Investigates
Building conditions at Jenkins Middle School 'unsafe', may require closure
The school district also has community meetings planned to answer questions about this transition. People from the school district, Colorado Springs Fire Department, and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control will be available at those meetings.
Those meetings are all at 6 p.m. at Doherty High School:
- January 14
- January 16
- January 22
News5Investigates obtained a letter from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control sent to Michael Willis, Senior Director of Facilities for Colorado Springs School District 11. The letter said the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) notified the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department in December about structural concerns at the school.
The letter said unless the district provides a structural analysis showing the building is safe, the school needs to be evacuated by Friday, January 17, 2025, to "make repairs and remediate these unsafe conditions".
The letter cites PPRBD's notice of unsafe conditions that details structural issues like cracks in the wall and parts of the building experiencing significant settlement.
To read the email communication sent by School District 11 to parents and staff click here.
