Federal cuts leave D20 families frustrated over scaled-back Air Academy High School rebuild
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A major update on Tuesday for thousands of military and civilian families in Academy School District 20: the district is still planning to rebuild Air Academy High School, but now with $71 million less than originally expected.
D20 says that funding gap is the result of changes in the federal match promised through the Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI) program.
When voters overwhelmingly passed ballot measure 4B in 2024, it was hailed as a rare moment of unity in a tax-averse community.
The measure provided local bond funding to help replace aging and unsafe facilities - including Air Academy High School, which was built in the 1950s and sits on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The plan depended heavily on a federal match. But this week, District 20 officials confirmed the federal portion has been capped at $120 million, down from the $191 million originally expected.
"The problem is that the federal government is clawing back over a third of the money that was promised to us, and that's a huge amount," said Kat Gayle, a former D20 parent who supported the bond. "There were literally pieces of the school flying off. And I was thinking, should I go in the school or just sit in my car and think, ‘Oh, the minivan has more protection than Air Academy High School at this point.'"
District leaders say the rebuild will still happen, but some design elements will be removed, and every dollar will need to be stretched.
A federal evaluation team is set to visit the campus next week to assess the situation. That visit, scheduled for June 12, coincides with a D20 Board of Education meeting, where officials are expected to discuss the updated budget and next steps.
District 20 says it will continue advocating for more support and promises to keep families informed as the process moves forward.
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