Monument Academy announced March 18 that it received a $17 million donation from an anonymous donor, the largest private gift to a K–12 public school in Colorado, according to Ryan Graham, president of the Board of Directors.
Monument Academy is a charter school, operating within Lewis-Palmer School District 38, that enrolls over 900 students. The funding will be used to construct a 750-seat performing arts center at the school’s East Campus. The venue will support the school’s orchestra, band, choir and theater programs, be a resource for other schools in the district and also serve as a venue for arts organizations in the Monument and greater Colorado Springs area.
Monument Academy is home to District 38’s only orchestra and comprehensive arts program.
The announcement was made during an evening event attended by parents, students and community members. The program featured performances by the school’s orchestra, theater students and show choir before the donation was revealed. School officials said almost all the faculty and families were unaware of the gift prior to the event.
The planned performing arts center will provide a dedicated venue for student productions, assemblies and school events. Its seating capacity is comparable to the Shockley-Zalabak Theater at the Ent Center for the Arts.
Executive Director Collin Vinchattle said the facility is intended to serve both the school and the broader community.
“We want to make this an area where the Monument community is involved — one where we can share it with everybody around us,” Vinchattle says.
School officials said the investment is part of the master plan for the school, which includes the new track and field facilities, a full-size gymnasium and new academic wing. The performing arts center will be an asset to their academic programs as research links arts participation with improved academic outcomes and also positions the academy as a regional destination for arts education.
Construction on the track and field facility will begin as soon as the final building permits are issued. The performing arts center’s groundbreaking is scheduled for October with construction complete in Spring 2028.