Academy District 20 asking taxpayers for funds in ballot measure to rebuild Air Academy HS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Academy District 20 is looking to put in a ballot measure this fall which would ask residents to pay upwards of 70 million dollars to go towards a rebuild of Air Academy High School and other projects, in a joint effort with the federal government.
The district says they're trying to capitalize on a "once in a generation opportunity", as a federal grant program that works with schools on military installations is offering to cover 80% of the near $240 million dollar price tag for the rebuild, which would also cover upgrades to Douglass Valley Elementary school, another school on Air Force grounds.
The remaining 20% of the deal, has to be paid by the district, which is where the idea for the ballot measure asking for a $69 million dollar bond approval stems from. The district would use $49 million of that toward the Air Academy construction, with the remaining $20 million to be used on Douglass Elementary, and projects within the district's charter schools.
D20 says the bond measure, if approved, would pass no extra burdens onto taxpayers, as their mill levy is set to decrease next year, lower than what the increase from the $69 million dollar bond would bring to residents' taxes.
Air Academy High School, which was built 67 years ago, along with Douglass Valley, are the two oldest buildings within the District's dozens of schools. In the process, the district says that Air Academy has racked up 73 million dollars worth of deferred maintenance projects.
KRDO13 was given a look inside the building, to learn more about the districts argument for why the ballot measure was important.
The district says, the opportunity with the federal grant money, effectively makes it cheaper to get a brand new high school, and elementary school, for a price that's cheaper than the maintenance for the high school itself.
"We have a very unique once in a generation type of opportunity to partner with the federal government." explained Becky Allan, the Deputy Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer with Academy District 20.
Allan noted that in 2016, taxpayers approved of a $230 million dollar bond, which allocated money for improvements at each of their schools, but also created two new elementary schools, a new middle school, as well as a permanent home for the School in the Woods and the Center for Modern Learning.
The status of projects completed using those funds can be found here.
D20's Board of Education will next meet in August to finalize the language of that ballot measure, and in the meantime will work with informing their residents as much as possible so they can make an informed decision come November.
