Colorado Springs: Temporary Closure of Jenkins Middle School

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Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) Fire Marshal Brett Lacey and Colorado Springs School District 11 have agreed to relocate all Jenkins Middle School students, teachers, and staff to alternate sites following the close of school on Friday, January 17, 2025. This relocation is due to fire safety and structural concerns within the building. The building will remain closed until fire protection and structural deficiencies are mitigated and resolved.

CSFD and Colorado Springs School District 11 have been closely monitoring the building structure and fire protection systems at Jenkins Middle School for the past few years. The building has experienced cracking and physical separation of walls and floors, which have progressively worsened, creating openings and penetrations into different fire areas, fire doors, and exit corridors. Working in partnership with CSFD and responding to annual inspections, the district has made diligent efforts to minimize and remediate these issues; however, the building has continued to shift, causing previous repairs to fail. This movement has compromised fire protection systems in ways that do not meet the International Fire Code and have rendered the building unsafe for occupation.

During the annual fire inspection conducted by CSFD on December 18, 2024, it was determined that the building's condition had reached a critical point requiring immediate attention. In response, CSFD notified the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), which oversees public school building standards statewide. On December 23, CSFD formally requested that the district engage a fire protection and structural engineering firm to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the building's systems.

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Since that time, the district has been working closely with Jensen Hughes, a highly regarded engineering firm, to assess the building and gather the most accurate and detailed information on its condition. Their evaluation, which is ongoing, has already identified significant concerns that require additional time for thorough analysis. Based on these findings, and after further consultation with the Fire Department this morning, it was determined that in the interest of everyone's safety, the building should be evacuated while we continue to address these critical issues.

Prioritizing Student Education and Facility Investment

While the Jenkins building will temporarily close, education for Jenkins Middle School students will continue uninterrupted. District 11 is committed to minimizing disruption to learning during this transition. Students will be relocated to another District 11 school building. Each grade level will remain together to ensure continuity in relationships and instruction. Teachers will travel with their students to the new locations.

"We understand that this decision is disruptive and challenging for families, students, and staff," said Superintendent Gaal, Colorado Springs School District 11. "However, safety and education remain our highest priorities. The district has identified a pathway to allocate the necessary capital funds to this project immediately and intends to do everything possible to prioritize these repairs and upgrades so that the Jenkins community can return to their building as swiftly as is safe."

District 11 will share additional details with families, including specific relocation plans, schedules, transportation, and support services, as soon as possible. A community meeting will be held at Doherty High School on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 6 p.m., where representatives from the district, CSFD, DFPC, and Jenkins Middle School leadership will be available to answer questions, provide updates, and hear feedback. Additional community meetings will be held on Thursday, January 16th and Wednesday, January 22nd also at Doherty High School.

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CSFD and District 11 remain united in addressing these challenges collaboratively and transparently to ensure the safety and well-being of students, staff, and the Jenkins community.

View the original letter of unsafe conditions CSFD sent the district on December 23 and the notice of evacuation sent on January 13.

Timeline:

December 18: CSFD performed annual inspection. CSFD school inspector notified Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal of structural and fire protection concerns with the building. CSFD notified Division of Fire Prevention and Control of the concerns. Jenkins Operational Staff was notified in person of the concerns.

December 19: Division of Fire Prevention and Control completed a walk through of the building with CSFD staff. CSFD notified Pikes Peak Regional Building Department of specific concerns.

December 23: CSFD sent a letter to District 11 formally requesting the district engage a fire protection and structural engineering firm to conduct an evaluation of the building's systems.

December 31: The Division of Fire Prevention and Control requested Pikes Peak Regional Building Department to conduct a structural assessment of Jenkins Middle School.

January 6: Pikes Peak Regional Building Department met at Jenkins Middle School with CSFD and School District 11 to conduct a visual structural building.

January 7: Pikes Peak Regional Building Department sent an official Notice of Unsafe Conditions to School District 11.

January 9: The Division of Fire Prevention and Control sent an official Notice of Unsafe Conditions to School District 11 notifying the district the school needed to evacuate by January 17th.

January 13: CSFD provided School District 11 with an official notice of evacuation of the school.

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