Midland Elementary School

Midland Elementary School is a small PK–5 school in the Old Colorado City/west side area of Colorado Springs, serving 129 students within Colorado Springs School District No. 11. The school maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 10.9:1, and about 70.5% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that has eased from 80.5% the previous year.

Academically, Midland presents an interesting contrast. Its math proficiency (36.7%) outpaces its ELA proficiency (28.6%)—an unusual pattern, since most nearby schools show the reverse. That math score nearly matches the state average and is well ahead of similar high-poverty neighbors like West Elementary School (27.6%) and Columbia Elementary School (27.0%). Midland also outperforms West in ELA (28.6% vs. 13.6%), despite West serving similar demographics just a few blocks away. Meanwhile, the charter school Mountain Song Community School, located about a mile away, posts only 13.3% math proficiency—well below Midland's 36.7%. The contrast in the other direction is striking too: Gold Camp Elementary School in Cheyenne Mountain School District No. 12, just 2.1 miles away, achieves 72.3% ELA and 66.2% math, reflecting stark socioeconomic and academic stratification between districts.

Attendance is a genuine strength. Midland's chronic absenteeism of 32.7% is far better than the D11 district average of 45.8%, and it compares favorably to wealthier schools like Bristol Elementary School (28.8%) and Buena Vista Elementary School (28.2%). The school's math scores have trended steadily upward over four testing cycles, suggesting targeted instruction is working, while literacy has stagnated. With only 129 students across all grades, scores can swing from year to year, but the overall picture is of a school that defies expectations: modest demographics, solid math performance, and better-than-expected attendance, with literacy as the clear area needing attention.