Dear D11 Family,

On behalf of the Board of Education, I welcome you to The Colorado Springs School District 11 as we proudly celebrate our 150th year of service to this community. Mary ‘Queen’ Palmer, the wife of General William Palmer, started a small school at the corner of Cascade and Bijou Streets in 1872 on a bedrock of excellence. Excellence in Education. Excellence in Service. Through the years, D11 has been the cornerstone of Colorado Springs, preparing this community’s children for success after graduation. As we look into the future, we are committed to the visionary mission of Mrs. Palmer, ensuring all our students receive a rich and rigorous educational experience built on fundamentals while providing them multiple pathways to explore their passion for continuous improvement and learning.

District 11 offers a wide array of educational programs to our students, including International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement classes, exploring work-based learning opportunities through our award-winning Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, earning college credits and degrees while still in high school, and participating in extra-curricular activities such as the arts, intramural and varsity sports, or a variety of student-led clubs. Our expert staff is available and prepared to assist you with choosing the academic pathway best suited for your long-term goals.

The Board of Education is excited to start this academic year working in partnership with Superintendent Michael Gaal to advance the priorities of student success, staff investment, community engagement, and building a strong and sustainable future for District 11. Mr. Gaal comes to D11 with impressive credentials and experience, focused on increasing central office support to our schools, improving collaboration and communication across all levels, and serving our entire D11 community. Working jointly with Mr. Gaal and our team of educators, the Board is committed to meeting every student where they are in their K-12 educational journey and fostering a welcoming, safe, and academically focused culture where all students are seen, valued, supported, and empowered for future success.

As our schools return to being vibrant community hubs after the challenges of the past couple of years, I encourage our parents, guardians, and stakeholders to share their expertise with our students and volunteer in our classrooms. More than ever, it takes an entire community to meet the diverse needs of our students. Parent and community engagement in our schools is critical for continued student success. The Board collectively renewed our commitment to visit every school and continue to build communication channels with our community. We look forward to engaging with you during our school visits and gathering feedback to help guide our work.

As we celebrate the District’s 150th anniversary, our promise is a renewed focus on continuing Queen Palmer’s founding vision of excellence in everything we do.

Please join us on our journey to excellence as we lead into the future while learning from our illustrious past. Together in partnership, we will continue to make our district a special place to work, learn, and thrive.

Dr. Parth Melpakam

President, D11 Board of Education