Summary:
Manitou Springs School District No. 14 is a high-performing, 4-star district (ranked 16th out of 115 Colorado districts) serving 1,147 students across four schools — two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school — in the Manitou Springs area. The district consistently outperforms state averages in reading and writing, with particularly strong science achievement at the high school level.
Among the four schools, Manitou Springs Middle School stands out as the highest-ranked, placing in the 71st percentile statewide with 60% ELA proficiency versus 44.7% statewide. Manitou Springs High School boasts a 91% graduation rate, a 0.9% dropout rate, and 11th-grade science proficiency nearly double the state average (46.9% vs. 24.8%). Ute Pass Elementary School leads the district in math with 48.2% proficiency, including standout 6th-grade results (72.9% ELA, 56.5% math), though its 5th-grade math (19%) and science (25%) represent a puzzling drop-off. Manitou Springs Elementary School performs solidly with strong 4th- and 5th-grade ELA but has the lowest math proficiency in the district.
All four schools serve similar socioeconomic populations (free/reduced lunch between 34.6% and 39%), yet outcomes vary, suggesting school-level factors matter. The middle school has the highest chronic absenteeism (21.4%) despite its top ranking, while the high school has the lowest (10.1%). Math is the district's main weakness — SAT math at 27% trails the state's 32% — even though younger students generally meet or exceed state averages. The middle school has also shown dramatic improvement, jumping from the 54th to 71st percentile over two years.
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