COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Jenkins Middle School students in Colorado Springs have a big change on Friday- It's their first day at new schools. This is after the district had to close the building in January because of major structural problems.
Brie, more than 500 "Jaguars" from Jenkins are moving to Doherty High School and just under 300 are moving to Russell Middle School. That's according to Jessica Wise with Colorado Springs School District 11.
To welcome the students at Doherty, Wise says the marching band and other clubs will be out in full force. She adds that "This display of camaraderie and collaboration showcases the unity and resilience of our school community, which has been instrumental in ensuring a smooth and speedy transition."
Families can have their children take the bus from Jenkins to either school, but they do have to let the district know. 6th graders are going to Russell Middle School. 7th and 8th graders are going to Doherty High School.
Students' last day at Jenkins was January 17, 2025. News5 was the first to report the structural damages that forced Jenkins to close for the rest of the school year. Since then, school leaders have been working on the details and communicating with families to ensure students can go to school.
School leaders say they are still working to figure out how to handle electives and extracurriculars. The superintendent said he anticipates that kids will be able to return to Jenkins in the fall.
D11 has hired an engineering firm to assess the building and determine its future.
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