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High Plains Elementary School

Q: Is High Plains Elementary School a good school?

High Plains Elementary School ranks 602 nd of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

602^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 36% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

High Plains Elementary School is a small PK-5 public school in Colorado Springs serving 248 students within the highly regarded Academy School District No. 20. While the district ranks in the 91st percentile statewide with a 5-star rating, High Plains itself holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the 36th percentile among Colorado elementary schools—a significant gap from its peers. The school sits in the shadow of several top-performing nearby elementaries, including Explorer Elementary School and Rockrimmon Elementary School, both of which rank in the 79th–91st percentile. Only about one-third of High Plains students are proficient in English language arts (35.8%), and fewer than one-third are proficient in math (30.1%), compared to district averages of 61.8% and 54.7%, respectively.

Despite these results, High Plains has an unusually low student-teacher ratio of 10:1—among the lowest of all nearby schools, compared to 16:1 at Explorer and 16.5:1 at Rockrimmon. This suggests class size is not the main obstacle. The school's challenges appear schoolwide: all student subgroups perform in a similar mid-low range, from the 40th to 46th percentile. Notably, the school's free/reduced-price lunch rate has climbed sharply from 38.8% in 2022-23 to 56.5% in 2024-25—the highest among nearby Academy District 20 schools and nearly double the rate at Academy International Elementary School (15.5%).

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern, with 34.2% of students missing significant school in 2024-25—nearly double the district rate of 19.7% and higher than every nearby same-district school. This means roughly one in three students is regularly absent, which directly impacts classroom engagement and academic progress. The school's state ranking has dropped from the 67th percentile in 2022-23 to the 36th percentile today. For parents, the bright spots are small class sizes, access to a strong district, and some past years of solid science scores. The clearest priority for improvement will be addressing attendance and supporting a rapidly changing student population.

248

Students ?

10.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,380

Per pupil spending ?

56.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2248 Vintage Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920-3808

(719) 234-4700

District: Academy School District No. 20

Students who attend High Plains Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mountain Ridge Middle School
High:	Rampart High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.7%

White:

40.3%

Two or more races:

8.1%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare High Plains Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 43rd percentile in 2014 → 36th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (32% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 28% Colorado)

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg57%

Colorado avg41%

602^nd of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 40% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 22Elementary Schools in the Academy School District No. 20

10^th of 114Academy School District No. 20 among Colorado districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	31.7	602 of 946	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.3	570 of 950	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.4	305 of 933	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.7	459 of 710	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.9	427 of 965	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.8	508 of 917	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.7	469 of 929	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.8	552 of 914	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.8	503 of 938	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	45.4	548 of 962	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.0	549 of 954	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.3	600 of 935	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.0	548 of 935	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.6	492 of 925	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	61.2	367 of 872	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.4	229 of 849	73.0%	★★★★☆
2007	62.4	346 of 852	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.3	302 of 829	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	76.2	189 of 823	77.0%	★★★★☆
2004	80.7	140 of 808	82.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	42.6	375 of 694	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.8	236 of 642	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	23.9	456 of 595	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.7	418 of 690	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	43.6	186 of 337	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.3	168 of 332	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.5	217 of 308	29.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	40.4	391 of 700	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.4	422 of 683	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.2	359 of 764	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.7	445 of 693	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	331 of 551	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.3	217 of 525	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	24.8	462 of 596	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.2	287 of 337	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2025)46th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)45th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)44th percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)40th percentile~ school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts36%-9 vs state

Math30%-7 vs state

Science29%-7 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, January 24, 2022

Great sense of community and the teachers and staff really care about each and every student. Close Quote

Schools Near High Plains Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CMAS English Language Arts (2026)							CMAS Math (2026)							CMAS Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
High Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2248 Vintage Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 234-4700	248	25	10.0	56.5%	100 (40.3%)	14 (5.6%)	106 (42.7%)	7 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (8.1%)	31.7	602^nd of 946 public elementary schools	36.4%		35.3	570^th of 950 public elementary schools	40.0%	32	34.6	32.0	40.0				35.8	33.3	28.0	29.0				30.1	29.0		$20,380
New Summit Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7899 Lexington Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	Yes	No	No	No	(719) 283-1731	628	37	17.2	37.9%	386 (61.5%)	22 (3.5%)	135 (21.5%)	23 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	60 (9.6%)	37	553^rd of 946 public elementary schools	41.5%		43.8	505^th of 950 public elementary schools	46.8%	48	23.2	57.6	41.5	42.9	50.9	44.8	42.6	26.1	37.3	21.5	27.0	34.0	41.4	29.9	32.3	51.7	$14,290
Academy Endeavour Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3475 Hampton Park Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-5600	347	26	13.6	23.3%	239 (68.9%)	4 (1.2%)	71 (20.5%)	9 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.9%)	63.8	317^th of 946 public elementary schools	66.5%		67.7	292^nd of 950 public elementary schools	69.3%	25	36.2	59.5	58.6				51.2	34.5	66.7	46.4				47.3	53.6		$15,431
Academy International Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8550 Charity Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-4000	368	25	15.0	15.5%	201 (54.6%)	20 (5.4%)	54 (14.7%)	33 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (16.3%)	77.6	197^th of 946 public elementary schools	79.2%		74.5	231^st of 950 public elementary schools	75.7%	34	72.9	63.2	66.7				67.3	69.4	44.8	60.0				57.5	40.0		$15,255
Frontier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3755 Meadow Ridge Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 234-4600	262	24	10.9	48.1%	142 (54.2%)	7 (2.7%)	76 (29.0%)	5 (1.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	30 (11.5%)	46.4	460^th of 946 public elementary schools	51.4%		45.8	480^th of 950 public elementary schools	49.5%	20	44.1	53.6	52.1				50.0	47.1	34.6	25.5				34.6	28.3		$18,917
Pioneer Elementary School	Public	K-5	3663 Woodland Hills Dr	Colorado Springs	80918	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 234-5000	382	25	15.2	48.4%	181 (47.4%)	15 (3.9%)	118 (30.9%)	8 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (15.2%)	71.7	249^th of 946 public elementary schools	73.7%		62.7	338^th of 950 public elementary schools	64.4%	89	55.7	71.7	59.3				61.6	47.1	57.4	46.3				50.0	42.6		$15,468
King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6110 Sapporo Drive	Colorado Springs	80918	El Paso County	Colorado Springs School District No. 11	No	No	No	No	(719) 328-6000	270	19	14.2	58.5%	137 (50.7%)	20 (7.4%)	82 (30.4%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (10.0%)	56.9	390^th of 946 public elementary schools	58.8%		56.3	396^th of 950 public elementary schools	58.3%	6	45.5	48.9	48.6				47.8	63.6	46.7	40.0				49.6	28.6		$21,957
Explorer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4190 Bardot Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-4400	470	29	16.0	27.4%	287 (61.1%)	19 (4.0%)	97 (20.6%)	11 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	53 (11.3%)	88.5	88^th of 946 public elementary schools	90.7%		77.7	204^th of 950 public elementary schools	78.5%	116	66.7	72.7	77.5				72.8	78.3	62.1	60.8				66.3	52.6		$13,588
Mountain View Elementary School	Public	K-5	10095 Lexington Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-4800	567	32	17.7	25.7%	342 (60.3%)	25 (4.4%)	106 (18.7%)	38 (6.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.5%)	61.9	338^th of 946 public elementary schools	64.3%		69.9	269^th of 950 public elementary schools	71.7%	69	38.0	64.4	54.2				52.7	38.7	56.4	44.9				46.8	42.4		$13,129
Martinez Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6460 Vickers Drive	Colorado Springs	80918	El Paso County	Colorado Springs School District No. 11	No	No	No	No	(719) 328-6100	354	28	12.8	45.5%	193 (54.5%)	21 (5.9%)	103 (29.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.9%)	60.1	356^th of 946 public elementary schools	62.4%		59.4	368^th of 950 public elementary schools	61.3%	12	42.1	55.8	58.5				52.3	49.2	48.1	47.0				48.0	31.3		$22,499

Frequently Asked Questions about High Plains Elementary School

What district is High Plains Elementary School in?

Academy School District No. 20

What is the racial makeup of High Plains Elementary School?

Students at High Plains Elementary School are 43% Hispanic, 40% White, 8% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% Asian.

Is High Plains Elementary School a good school?

High Plains Elementary School ranks 602^nd of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of High Plains Elementary School attend?

Students who attend High Plains Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mountain Ridge Middle School
High : Rampart High School

How many students attend High Plains Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 248 students attended High Plains Elementary School.

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.