Academy School District No. 20

Academy School District No. 20, located in the Colorado Springs area, serves roughly 25,600 students across 39 schools — 22 elementary, 8 middle, and 9 high schools — and ranks 10th among 115 Colorado districts. It outperforms the state across every metric: CMAS English Language Arts hits 61.8% versus 44.7% statewide, math 54.7% versus 37.3%, and SAT Reading/Writing 79% versus 60%. Graduation rates (95.4%) and chronic absenteeism (19.7%) also beat state averages of 85.6% and 28.4%.

The Classical Academy High School ranks 17th in Colorado (95th percentile) with 90% SAT Reading/Writing proficiency, and its feeder network — The Classical Academy Charter, The Classical Academy Middle School, and TCA College Pathways — all rank in the state's top 12%, making it the district's most consistent K-12 system. Discovery Canyon Campus Middle School (94th percentile) anchors another strong feeder, with Discovery Canyon Campus Elementary School and Discovery Canyon Campus High School both ranking in the 85th percentile. Explorer Elementary School is a standout turnaround, jumping from 277th to 88th statewide in two years with 72.8% ELA proficiency, and Pine Creek High School posts a 97.4% graduation rate.

Math is the district's biggest academic gap: SAT Reading/Writing is 79% but SAT Math only 44%, with Liberty High School showing the widest split (74% vs. 36%). Chronic absenteeism varies dramatically — Academy Endeavour Elementary School is best at 8.9%, while Aspen Valley High School is worst at 69.8% with a 77.8% graduation rate. Rampart High School (35.7%) and High Plains Elementary School (34.2%) also struggle with attendance. Free/reduced lunch rates range from 11.2% at Encompass Heights Elementary School to 56.5% at High Plains, and the district's higher-poverty schools — High Plains, Frontier Elementary School, and Prairie Hills Elementary School — generally post the lowest scores.