Joseph Shelton Calls for Accountability in the Jenkins Middle School Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2025

Joseph Shelton Calls for Accountability in the Jenkins Middle School Crisis

Colorado Springs, CO – Joseph Shelton, candidate for the Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education, is calling for full accountability and open honesty in the ongoing crisis at Jenkins Middle School. As structural and fire protection failures force the school’s closure, Shelton is demanding answers from past and present leadership, emphasizing that this failure did not happen overnight.

“This issue does not stand alone on Superintendent Michael Gaal’s shoulders,” said Shelton. “The reality is that Jenkins Middle School has been facing structural concerns for over 15 years, and multiple superintendents and school boards have failed to take decisive action.”

The facts are clear:

• 2009 – Superintendent Dr. Nick Gledich was hired, and soil studies began

• 2013 – Colorado Springs Fire inspectors cited the district for degradation in fire protection features

• 2018 – Dr. Gledich retired, leaving five years of unaddressed citations; Superintendent Dr. Michael Thomas was hired

• 2022 – Superintendent Dr. Thomas resigned; Superintendent Michael Gaal was hired

• 2024 – The Colorado Springs Fire Department determined the risk was too great to keep the school open

• 2025 – Jenkins Middle School closed to address the concerns and issues

“For more than a decade, these concerns were raised, and instead of fixing the problem at its root, past leadership opted for temporary patches,” Shelton stated. “I hold Superintendent Gaal and the current Board accountable for attempting to wait until 2027 to address the issue, but I also hold former Superintendents Gledich and Thomas, as well as past Board Members, accountable for allowing this issue to fester into a full-blown crisis.”

While Shelton understands Superintendent Gaal’s comments that the school isn’t at risk of collapsing and that the primary issue is the fire suppression system, he is firm in his stance that this is still a major safety concern. “Whether the fire suppression systems are used daily or once in a blue moon, the fact that they aren’t functional at all is a safety issue on its own,” said Shelton. “Fire protection systems are not an optional feature in schools. Their failure puts lives at risk.”

Who Knew What and When?

Shelton is also calling on former and current school board members to come forward about what they knew regarding Jenkins Middle School’s structural issues. While election records prior to 2009 could not be found, since then, the following individuals served on the D11 Board of Education according to El Paso County Election archives and new sources:

• Sandra Mann, LuAnn Long, Al Loma, Bob Null, Jan Tanner, Elaine Naleski, Nora Brown, Jim Mason, Linda Mojer, Martin Herrera, Theresa Null, Mary Coleman, Shawn Gullixson, Darleen Daniels, and Chris Wallis.

• The current Board of Education consists of Parth Melpakam, Jill Haffley, Jason Jorgenson, Lauren Nelson, Sandra Bankes, Thomas Carey, and Julie Ott.

“These individuals had decision-making power, and I would love to know what, if anything, they knew about the issue at Jenkins Middle School,” Shelton stated. “Parents, students, and taxpayers deserve answers.”

The recently released final report highlights the extent of the problem: parts of Jenkins Middle School’s foundation have shifted up to 5.5 inches, warping fire barriers and rendering them ineffective. Fire-rated doors have been modified to fit misaligned frames, a dangerous consequence of years of inaction. Despite these warning signs, previous and current administrations planned to delay major repairs until 2027—a decision that put students and staff at risk.

“This should have been addressed the moment concerns were raised,” said Shelton. “Leadership should never wait for a problem to become a crisis before acting. The students, staff, and families of Jenkins Middle School deserved better.”

Shelton, who is running on a platform of honesty, transparency, and revitalization in District 11, is urging the community to hold leadership accountable. He encourages parents, students, and community members to attend the Board of Education meeting on April 2 to demand action and transparency.

“The days of kicking the can down the road must end,” Shelton affirmed. “As a member of the Board of Education, I will fight for proactive solutions, not last-minute emergency fixes. Our students deserve schools that are safe, stable, and structurally sound—not just when it’s convenient for leadership, but every single day.”

For media inquiries, please contact:

Joseph Shelton

Email: Joseph@SheltonforD11.com

Phone: 719-290-0440

Website: SheltonforD11.com

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