Colorado Springs School District No. 11

Colorado Springs School District No. 11 serves roughly 22,200 students across 59 schools — 37 elementary, 10 middle, 11 high, and one alternative charter — and ranks 66th out of 115 Colorado districts (2 stars). The district trails the state in nearly every metric: CMAS proficiency is 36.9% ELA and 32.1% math (vs. 44.7% and 37.3% statewide), the graduation rate is 76.7% (vs. 85.6%), and chronic absenteeism is 45.8% (vs. 28.4%).

School performance varies dramatically within the district. The clear elementary standout is Chipeta Elementary School, ranking in the 95th percentile with 76% ELA and 71.4% math proficiency; Steele Elementary School, Stratton Elementary School, Bristol Elementary School, and Howbert Elementary School are also strong options. At the high school level, charter and alternative models lead the way: Odyssey Early College and Career Options ranks in the 88th percentile with a 93.5% graduation rate, CIVA Charter Academy exceeds the state graduation rate, and Thomas MacLaren State Charter School posts the district's highest SAT scores. At the other end, Adams Elementary School, Monroe Elementary School, Jack Swigert Middle School, and Galileo Middle School sit near the bottom of the state with proficiency rates in the low teens or single digits.

Among traditional comprehensive high schools, only Coronado High School (85.2% graduation) approaches the state rate; Doherty High School, Palmer High School, and Mitchell High School lag well behind. Math is a district-wide weakness — even top performers like Odyssey post 81% SAT reading/writing but just 36% math. Chronic absenteeism is the most systemic crisis, exceeding 50% at 17 schools and topping 90% at Eastlake High School of Colorado Springs, Community Prep Charter School, and Nikola Tesla Education Opportunity Center, which also have the district's lowest graduation rates. Encouragingly, some schools beat the odds: Freedom Elementary School reaches 63.5% math despite 41.8% free/reduced lunch, and Odyssey posts a 93.5% graduation rate with 51.2% FRL. For parents, the takeaway is clear: outcomes vary by more than 60 percentage points between the district's best and most challenged schools, so researching individual options matters enormously.