ALAMOSA – It took some back-and-forth negotiations between the school district, the planning commission and the Alamosa City Council alongside intense discussions ranging from school district swag to caps on enrollment, but almost fifteen months to the day after the purchase papers were signed, Alamosa School District (ASD) has officially added a new campus downtown.

It’s a move that signals good things, not just for ASD but for the community, at large, as it strengthens the stability of one of the significant employers in the Valley and fills a building that had been vacant since the previous owners/occupants had gone bankrupt.  

Located at 507 San Juan on the corner of Main Street and Fifth, the 22,000 square feet, two-story building formerly known as Friday’s will now house district administrative personnel plus staff and students attending the Alamosa Alternative and Alamosa Online School. On the first floor, space is reserved for retail sales in keeping with the city’s requirements for buildings facing Main Street downtown.

“This milestone represents the culmination of thoughtful planning, growth, and visionary leadership by our Board of Directors and staff,” says ASD Superintendent Diana Jones, “all focused on meeting the evolving needs of our current and future students.”

“Evolving” is an appropriate word, as it was anything but a straight path that led ASD administration, Alternative and Online staff and students to the building downtown.

The genesis of the Alamosa Alternative and Online School project can probably be traced back to the pandemic when online instruction became a districtwide alternative method of instruction. Some students clearly struggled without the structure found in classroom instruction. Circumstances in other students’ lives were helped by the flexibility online instruction offered.

Against this backdrop, ASD’s leadership team had a complete turnover for the 2021 – 2022 school year when Dr. Diana Jones was hired as superintendent and Dr. Luis Murillo filled the role of assistant superintendent.

From the beginning, Jones and Murillo messaged that inclusion of all students was key to the district’s success, as reflected in their phrase “All means all”. In a time when students came from a broad range of situations and backgrounds, “all means all” communicated that all students and all staff are part of the “ASD family.”  That philosophy was such a cornerstone to Jones’ and Murillo’s philosophy that it was integrated into the district’s Strategic Plan.

When the pandemic came to an end and students were back in the classroom, enrollment in public schools across Colorado began to decline and has continued to do so. Based on 2026 numbers, the Colorado Department of Education reports the lowest enrollment numbers in a decade with 870,793 students currently enrolled in public schools across Colorado. This number reflects a 1.2% drop year over year.

Many students stayed with online instruction while alternative schools suited some students better.

Likewise, enrollment was steadily growing at the Alternative and Online school, such that a larger space was needed to accommodate the students.

At ASD, the educational environment of students is always a front-and-center priority, so district leadership moved Alternative and Online students into the administrative building on Victoria and district personnel relocated to leased space on San Juan Avenue in a building shared with the Early Childhood Council.

It wasn’t a perfect fix, and it was only temporary.

The ASD administrative building was built to hold offices, not classrooms, and crucial amenities that students at the Alternative School relied on were sorely missed, like access to a washer and dryer for students who had no other way to wash their clothes. Principal Lori Smith still made the situation work, but with enrollment increasing every year, it was increasingly tough. Picture ten students in an office built to house one, maybe two, staff members.

Then ASD learned they could no longer lease space on San Juan for administrative offices, which left them with only two choices:  build a new building to accommodate  district offices, the Alamosa Alternative and Alamosa Online School or find a space suitable for all three..

The building downtown was the least expensive and most forward-looking option, but it came with challenges. There were concerns about parking availability and, while some merchants welcome students and staff, others have some reservations. The use of space for retail also took some negotiating but, eventually, an agreement was reached.

“The new facility provides expanded classroom space, allowing us to grow the student population at the Alamosa Alternative School,” Superintendent Jones writes in a message to the public. “Currently, there is a waiting list of students seeking an alternative pathway to graduation, and this new space will help us better serve those students. The school includes large classrooms, a washer and dryer, a mother’s room, a sensory space, a nursing office, a security office, and other supportive amenities designed to meet the diverse needs of our students. Providing these resources aligns directly with the goals outlined in the Alamosa School District Strategic Plan.”

Jones then listed the two “important purposes” that guided the purchase.  

“First, it allows us to create a welcoming and supportive learning environment for our Alamosa Alternative School students while addressing the growing demand demonstrated by the current waitlist.

“Second, it provides needed office space for district personnel. The purchase of the building also met needs identified in the Facilities Master Plan and is estimated to save the district approximately $8 million in future costs by housing both the school and district offices in a shared location.”

Jones closed with extending their gratitude to the Early Childhood Council for sharing their space and further thanks to the City of Alamosa Planning Commission and City Council for their guidance and consideration throughout this process.

As of this week, ASD has offices and a school campus downtown, both schools are in session and a new era has begun.