Ground breaks for new Douglass Valley PK-8 school at Air Force Academy

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) --Ground is officially broken for the new Douglass Valley PK-8 school on the U.S. Air Force Academy campus.

The school, which will replace Academy District 20's current Douglass Valley Elementary School, will serve military-connected students and families. The project is part of a $42.7 million federal grant from the Department of War to support the replacement of older military-connected schools.

Douglass Valley Elementary School is currently the oldest school in the district, and is now being revamped to a more modern look, officials say. They say it will be able to accomodate more students as they expand to cover all the way from pre-k to 8th grade.

It's also a first for the USAFA.

"Currently, we don't have a middle school on the United States Air Force Academy," Becky Allan, Deputy Superintendent and Chief Financial office of Academy District 20, said. "Our students go off base for middle school experiences, so this enhancement to have now preschool, which we did not have, and to have students be able to stay with us if they like in grades six through eight, that provides a level of continuity and service that our military members have not had in the past."

According to Allan, they estimate construction will take anywhere from a year and a half to two years. She also mentioned current students will not be displaced, but will continue at the current school until construction is done.

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