A collaborative effort more than 10 years in the making is finally on its way to completion.

Abrams Elementary School will be replaced by a new building at a new location on Fort Carson, set to open in about one year. While the new facility will keep the same name, it will feature new and updated features for students with safety improvements being the main catalyst for the project.

“It’s going to be state-of-the-art,” said Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 Deputy Superintendent Monica Romero. “It’s going to be a great place for kids and definitely highlight that community with something they deserve, for sure.”

According to Romero, the school, established in 1975, is the oldest in the district that has not received significant renovations. The last school to be built in the district was Weikel Elementary in 2010.

School named after fallen hero

Also, added family housing on post has led to increased concerns about traffic flow and student safety along Chiles Avenue among district administrators, Army personnel and community members for more than a decade.

Abrams is now east of Chiles while family housing sits to the west. As a result, the school’s entire student body crosses the busy roadway daily, posing a safety risk that renovations alone wouldn’t address.

Construction of a new facility also was hindered by the location of housing.

“We mainly wanted to find a spot that is adjacent to the current location where they don’t have to cross the busy thoroughfare,” said Joe Wyka, Fort Carson’s acting deputy garrison commander and former public works director.

The school district and Army ultimately decided on a lot controlled by the post’s home provider, Balfour Beatty, on the west side of the road and slightly north at 4450 Chiles Ave. Because of the school’s location , the process of acquiring new land and selling old buildings involves communication and coordination between the school district, the Army and Balfour Beatty. The district owns the buildings while they lease the land to the Army.

State of the Base: New homes, new school, renovated barracks on the horizon for Fort Carson

Romero, who also oversees construction and maintenance with the district and acts as liaison with the garrison, explained that District 8 was responsible for the approval, design, funding and execution of the building project.

The new school will also increase student capacity while focusing on the needs unique to the community. Because a large number of families have students in preschool through second grade or students with special needs, the additional classrooms will be designed with these accommodations in mind and the ability to adapt and adjust as needed.

“We really were thoughtful about creating common classrooms that could span that pre-K through second grade range and that you could be flexible with what those classrooms look like,” she said. “Because on Fort Carson, you never really know who’s coming because there’s so much movement.”

The two-story building will feature dedicated special education classrooms, outdoor learning space as well as updated science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) facilities.

“We’re also using this facility to make sure we’re honoring our soldiers on Fort Carson, so there’ll be some unique features around just understanding the population that the school serves,” Romero said.

The current Abrams school will be repurposed as a spiritual fitness center.

The Army defines “spiritual fitness” as “the development of the personal qualities needed to sustain a person in times of stress, hardship and tragedy.”

“Moderate upgrades” and repurposing of existing features are planned, Wyka said.

“Since it’s already got features like a kitchen and a gym, we just felt like it was a good fit for this,” he said.

Funding for the new Abrams will come from the school district’s building fund, with the project contracted to cost approximately $45 million over the course of multiple budget years. The school is on track to open during the fall 2025 semester.

“Everyone is really excited about what this means for the community,” Romero said. “And I think, for me, it’s going to be one of the greatest accomplishments during my time here, to see this project through.”