Newsletter Messages

August 2021

A Message from Superintendent Elizabeth Domangue

Our community's long history of educating children is at the center of two major milestones coming up in 2022: 150 years since the Manitou Springs School District 14’s (MSSD) founding and 100 years since Manitou Springs Elementary School opened its doors. For 150 years, students who pass through our halls have leveraged the relationships they built and the deep learning experiences they engaged in as a foundation for their future. The sense of pride that comes from being an MSSD graduate is something that stays with our students throughout their lives. This is the place where they find their passion, form lifelong friendships, appreciate beauty in the natural environment that surrounds them, and access opportunities.

Manitou’s schools have been at the heart of the community for 150 years. Residents line the streets for the homecoming parade and fill the stands for Friday night football games. They access school playgrounds in the evenings and on weekends and take advantage of our playfields. Our schools are community assets and amenities. Maintaining them benefits more than just our students and staff. This is something our community has previously acknowledged by supporting bond initiatives to maintain and update our schools every 15–20 years.

With the bonds from the 2002 election paid off and access to $9 million in Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grants, the MSSD Board of Education will vote later this month on putting a $43 million bond package on the November 2021 ballot. This package is aligned with what emerged from the district’s comprehensive master planning process, which involved MSSD students, staff, and community members. The package includes generating the 65 percent in matching funding ($16.5 million) required to receive the BEST grants.


Should a November 2021 bond be referred to the ballot, it will include the following projects:
  • New and remodeled middle school/high school campus facilities
  • Funding for improvements, safety enhancements, and educational upgrades at Manitou Springs High School, Manitou Springs Elementary School, and Ute Pass Elementary School
  • Investments in outdoor facilities where students can safely learn, train, and play
  • Projects that will maintain valuable amenities accessible to our entire community

Today, we are debuting videos starring MSSD students and staff that describe the proposed bond projects in more detail. A full list of projects, their associated costs, and the impact on taxpayers, as well as more details on the November 2021 bond, can be viewed on our website.

Thank you,
Elizabeth Domangue, PhD
Superintendent