The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

D11 agenda: votes scheduled on improvement plans for four state-flagged schools; retreat takes up AI policy

The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education's Oct. 7 regular meeting agenda called for votes on the district's 2026-2027 Unified District Improvement Plan and on improvement plans for three schools, with a separate item on a fourth. Minutes from that meeting had not been published as of Oct. 19, so the record available here does not show whether the votes were taken or what the results were.

Improvement plans ahead of a state deadline

The Oct. 7 meeting was scheduled for 5:30 PM in the boardroom at 1115 N. El Paso Street. According to the agenda, the board was to vote on the 2026-2027 Unified District Improvement Plan ahead of an Oct. 15, 2026 submission deadline to the Colorado Department of Education. Separate votes were listed for Unified School Improvement Plans at Mann Middle School, Galileo Middle School and Madison Elementary School, with a separate item on Spark Online Academy. The agenda also listed a Colorado Department of Education update on Mitchell High School and Galileo Middle School, policy revisions and personnel recommendations.

Public hearing on four schools

A 7:00 PM public hearing covered the four schools assigned low-performance plan types based on spring state assessments. The agenda lists Madison Elementary School as 2026 Preliminary Plan Type Turnaround, with Achievement Approaching and Growth Does Not Meet; Galileo Middle School and Mann Middle School as Priority Improvement, each with Achievement Does Not Meet and Growth Approaching; and Spark Online Academy as Priority Improvement, with Achievement Approaching and Growth Approaching. A district notice states that each school developed a Unified Improvement Plan with stakeholders, that the plan must incorporate parent feedback and be approved by the board, and that families can give input at monthly School Accountability Committee meetings or at the hearing.

Policy actions listed

The agenda listed K-Series policy actions: retain KI and AKB as revised, adopt KHA-KHB, and repeal KCD, KHA, KHB, KJJ and regulations KCD-R, KHA-R and KHB-R.

Accreditation of eight schools

A non-action item would accredit eight schools rated 74% or above on the School Performance Framework, including Freedom Elementary at 84.9% and Howbert Elementary at 84.6%. The agenda states a board vote is needed by Nov. 4, 2026.

Retreat covers AI policy, crisis communications

On Oct. 14 the board was scheduled to meet for a retreat on internal operations and policy. Listed topics were board self-evaluation, review of the Administrative Action Checklist, Artificial Intelligence workshopping and policy direction, crisis communications planning, and review of Policy AD regarding District Vision, Mission and Strategic Planning. No minutes from the retreat had been published.

School events

Notices listed possible attendance by two or more board directors at the Rogers Elementary School 4th Grade Medieval Festival on Oct. 8 and at the 5th Grade Peak Experience - Rocket Day at Memorial Park, 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave, on Oct. 14. Both notices state that no board business would be discussed and no action would be taken.

Coming up

Oct. 29: the DAC and DAC Subcommittees meet in Room 129, and the MLO Oversight Committee meets in Room 186. The notice states that no board business will be discussed and no board action will be taken at these committee meetings.

District 11 board scheduled to vote on improvement plans for four schools ahead of Oct. 15 state deadline

The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education was scheduled to vote at its Oct. 7 regular meeting on a 2026-2027 Unified District Improvement Plan and on improvement plans for three schools, with a separate item on a fourth, ahead of an Oct. 15, 2026 deadline to submit the district plan to the Colorado Department of Education. The meeting was set for 5:30 p.m. in the boardroom at 1115 N. El Paso Street.

Agendas for these meetings have been published; minutes have not. Whether the votes were taken, and how they turned out, is not established in the records provided.

Improvement plans for four schools

The board was scheduled to vote on Unified School Improvement Plans for Mann Middle School, Galileo Middle School and Madison Elementary School, with a separate agenda item on Spark Online Academy. A 7:00 p.m. public hearing the same evening covered the same four schools, described in the notice as Priority Improvement and Turnaround schools.

According to the hearing notice, each school developed a Unified Improvement Plan with stakeholders, and the plan must incorporate parent feedback and be approved by the board. Families can give input at monthly School Accountability Committee meetings or at the hearing.

The ratings behind the plans

The district notice lists 2026 preliminary plan types and spring state assessment results for each school:

• Madison Elementary School: Turnaround; Achievement Approaching; Growth Does Not Meet
• Galileo Middle School: Priority Improvement; Achievement Does not meet; Growth Approaching
• Mann Middle School: Priority Improvement; Achievement Does not meet; Growth Approaching
• Spark Online Academy: Priority Improvement; Achievement Approaching; Growth Approaching

Also on the Oct. 7 agenda

• K-Series policy actions: retain KI and AKB as revised; adopt KHA-KHB; repeal KCD, KHA, KHB, KJJ and regulations KCD-R, KHA-R, KHB-R.
• A Colorado Department of Education update on Mitchell High School and Galileo Middle School.
• Personnel recommendations.
• A non-action item to accredit eight schools rated 74% or above on the School Performance Framework, including Freedom Elementary (84.9%) and Howbert Elementary (84.6%). The notice states a board vote is needed by November 4, 2026.

Event notices

Two notices covered board member attendance at school events, with no board business discussed and no action taken: the 8th Grade Peak Experience - Chalktober on Oct. 2 at 9:30 a.m. at Acacia Park, 115 E. Platte Ave., and the Rogers Elementary School 4th Grade Medieval Festival on Oct. 8. The Chalktober notice lists Melisa Olsen, Board Specialist, at 719-520-2004 as the contact.

Coming up

The board is scheduled to hold a retreat on Oct. 14 to discuss internal operations and policy. Agenda items include board self-evaluation, a review of the Administrative Action Checklist, artificial intelligence workshopping and policy direction, crisis communications planning, and a review of Policy AD regarding District Vision, Mission, and Strategic Planning.

D11 board weighs $484,729 election agreement, policy overhaul

The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education met twice on Aug. 19 to consider a $484,729 agreement with El Paso County that would place a bond question on the November ballot, and to review a broad set of district policies. Minutes from those meetings have not yet been published, so the board's decisions are not known.

Special meeting and work session (Aug. 19)

The board held a special meeting on Aug. 19 to vote on an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with El Paso County for the Nov. 3, 2026 coordinated election. The estimated cost is $484,729, and the agreement is required to put the district's bond question on the ballot. Public comments at that meeting were limited to action items, with three minutes per speaker.

Also on Aug. 19, the board held a work session to review and vote on proposed revisions, repeals, and adoptions for the K-Series (Community Relations) and L-Series (Education Agency Relations) policies. The review was presented by Chief of Strategy Nicole Ottmer and other staff. Both meetings were listed as agenda-only, with minutes not yet published.

Committee meetings and ribbon cutting (Aug. 12 and 20)

On Aug. 12, the board issued a notice that two or more directors might attend the Jenkins Middle School ribbon cutting at 6410 Austin Bluffs Pkwy. The agenda stated that no board business would be discussed or acted upon at the event.

On Aug. 20, district committees met, including the DAC and DAC subcommittees (5:30–8:30 p.m., Room 116/129) and the MLO Oversight Committee (5:30–8:00 p.m., Room 186). The agenda said no board business would be discussed and no board action would be taken. Community members were welcome to observe, with virtual attendance available via Webex links provided one week prior.

Coming up

The board will hold a work session on Aug. 26 at 1115 N. El Paso Street to vote on the K-series and L-series policy revisions, repeals, and adoptions. This is part of a comprehensive policy manual review directed by the board in April 2026. The agenda includes policies, regulations, and exhibits. The board is expected to vote on the proposed changes as presented.

D11 Board Agendas Include Bond, Teacher Pay, and $1.6M Contract; Decisions Await Minutes

The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education held several meetings and events over the past two weeks, with agendas that included a proposed November bond measure, a $1.6 million instructional support contract, and a commitment of mill levy override funds to teacher compensation. No official decisions have been reported yet, as minutes from these meetings have not been published.

Special Board Meeting (July 29)

The board convened a special session via videoconference on July 29, 2026, to consider three resolutions:

• **Resolution 2027-02**: Approve ballot language for a proposed 2026 general obligation bond measure.
• **Resolution 2027-03**: Commit mill levy override revenues to teacher compensation if the bond passes.
• **Resolution 2027-01**: Confirm participation in the 2026 Coordinated Election and appoint Melisa Olsen as Designated Election Official.

The agenda noted that the board needed to vote by August 5, 2026, for the bond and teacher compensation resolutions.

Regular Board Meeting (August 5)

At its regular meeting on August 5, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the Boardroom at 1115 N. El Paso Street, the board had the following items on its agenda:

• A vote on a contract with Instructional Empowerment for instructional support services, valued at $1,627,000 (up to $1,800,000).
• A vote on Resolution 2027-02 to place a General Obligation bond question on the November 3, 2026, ballot.
• A vote on Resolution 2027-03 to commit Mill Levy Override funds to teacher compensation if the bond passes.
• A vote on a five-year charter contract renewal for CIVA Charter High School.
• A vote on personnel recommendations, including staff appointments.

Public comments were allowed for 60 minutes.

Procedural Notices

The board also issued several notices for events where no official business was planned:

• **July 27**: A LEAD (Leadership, Engagement, and Development) meeting notice, with no board business or action.
• **July 29**: D11 Launch (New Teacher Orientation) at 2560 International Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80910, at 8:00 AM. No board action was planned.
• **August 3**: Executive Professional Annual Kick-Off at Jenkins Middle School. No board business or action scheduled.
• **August 4**: Staff Welcome Back Kickoff for Northeast and West Schools at Ed Robson Arena (849 N Tejon St). No board action was planned.

These notices are procedural and do not involve decisions.

Coming Up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. The next regular board meeting has not been announced in the provided data.