El Paso County Colorado School District 49

El Paso County Colorado School District 49 serves about 25,689 students across 31 schools in the Colorado Springs area, including 18 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 8 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. The district ranks 33rd out of 115 Colorado districts with a 4-star rating in the 71st percentile overall. However, this aggregate ranking masks an extraordinary range of performance, containing some of the state's highest-performing schools alongside several near the bottom. School sizes vary dramatically, from Patriot High School at 115 students to GOAL Academy at 6,693 students, accounting for 26% of total district enrollment.

Pikes Peak Early College is the clear academic leader, ranking 39th of 338 high schools with 82% SAT Reading and 49% SAT Math proficiency, though its 45% graduation rate is a concern. Among elementary schools, Pikes Peak School Expeditionary Learning and Meridian Ranch Elementary School lead with state rankings in the 82nd to 83rd percentile and strong CMAS scores. Liberty Tree Academy has the district's best graduation rate at 96.4% with solid reading scores, while Power Technical excels in math and science with a 91.7% graduation rate and low chronic absenteeism. At the other extreme, GOAL Academy ranks 329th of 338 high schools with a 49% graduation rate, Allies ranks 928th of 943 elementary schools with just 5.7% math proficiency, and Patriot High School struggles with a 51.9% chronic absenteeism rate.

Several patterns emerge across the district. Math proficiency consistently trails reading at nearly every school, making math intervention a clear district-wide priority. Chronic absenteeism is high at Falcon High School (56.6%), Patriot High School (51.9%), and Sand Creek High School (48.7%), yet these schools still graduate over 92% of students, suggesting attendance alone doesn't determine graduation outcomes. Middle schools lag behind elementary schools, all posting weak math scores. Notably, alternative schools like Liberty Tree Academy and Banning Lewis Ranch Academy are among the district's strongest performers, challenging assumptions about alternative education. GOAL Academy's large enrollment and low scores significantly drag down district averages; without it, the district graduation rate would likely exceed 90%.