Best Public Schools in Zip Code 80902

Zip code 80902 in the Colorado Springs / Fort Carson area is served by five schools in Fountain School District No. 8, including four elementary schools and one middle school, with no high school located in the zip code itself. All five schools rank below the 37th percentile statewide, and combined area averages trail both district and state proficiency in English Language Arts and Math, though chronic absenteeism here is actually better than the state average. The district overall ranks in the bottom half of Colorado, but individual schools show meaningful differences in performance and trajectory.

Weikel Elementary School is the academic leader in the area, with the highest ELA (39.4%) and Math (29.7%) proficiency rates, the lowest free/reduced lunch rate at 32.3%, and a rank of 593 out of 943 elementary schools. Patriot Elementary School is a solid mid-tier performer, posting a 38.2% ELA rate and even exceeding the state average in 4th grade ELA and 5th grade science in the prior year. Carson Middle School, the only middle school, showed the clearest improvement, jumping from the 17th to the 32nd percentile with strong gains in Math and Science. At the lower end, Abrams Elementary School has the highest economic disadvantage (64.4% free/reduced lunch) and the lowest ELA proficiency (21.5%), while Mountainside Elementary School has the lowest Math and Science scores despite having the smallest class sizes.

One of the most striking trends is the sharp, universal drop in 5th grade science proficiency across all four elementary schools, with declines ranging from 17 to 27 percentage points, suggesting a systemic issue rather than random variation. Notably, student-teacher ratios do not predict performance — Weikel has the largest classes yet the best outcomes, while Mountainside has the smallest classes and the weakest Math scores. Chronic absenteeism is relatively controlled, with four of five schools below the state rate, so attendance does not explain the low test scores. With no high school in the zip code, Carson Middle students must leave the area for secondary education. Families should watch Carson’s upward momentum and Weikel’s consistent leadership, while Abrams and Mountainside may need additional support.