Summary:
Cascade, Colorado is served by a single school, Ute Pass Elementary School, which provides education for grades PK through 6 with an enrollment of 174 students. This small elementary school is part of the highly regarded Manitou Springs School District No. 14, which ranks 16th out of 115 districts in Colorado, placing it in the 86th percentile with a 4-star rating. Despite its modest size, the school delivers strong academic results, outperforming the Colorado state averages in both English Language Arts and Math by double-digit margins.
In the most recent school year, Ute Pass Elementary achieved 56.4% proficiency in ELA and 48.2% in Math, compared to state averages of 44.7% and 37.3%. The school's 6th-grade ELA performance stands out as exceptional, with 72.9% proficiency, which is more than 31 points above the state average. The school also exceeds its own district in Math by 6 points, suggesting a particular strength in math instruction. Additionally, the school boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.6%, far below the state rate of 28.4%, and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.4, both of which contribute to a positive learning environment. The school has consistently ranked in the upper third of Colorado elementary schools over the past three years, earning a 3-star rating each year.
The primary area of concern is 5th-grade performance. Proficiency in 5th-grade Math sits at just 19%, well below the district rate of 37.7% and state rate of 39.3%. Similarly, 5th-grade Science proficiency is 25%, below the district and state averages, and this weakness has persisted for two consecutive years. These struggles contrast sharply with stronger results in 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades, suggesting a grade-specific challenge rather than a school-wide issue. If the school can address this 5th-grade gap, it has strong potential to improve its overall ranking and possibly move from a 3-star to a 4-star school.
Thank you for your feedback!