Summary:
Zip code 80903 in Colorado Springs contains one elementary school: Columbia Elementary School, a public PK–5 campus serving 265 students within Colorado Springs School District No. 11.
As the only elementary school in the area, Columbia Elementary School is the default option for families, and it serves a predominantly low-income population, with 66.79% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. The school has a favorable 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio, which allows for more individualized attention. However, academic proficiency trails both the district and state in all tested subjects. In 2025–2026, ELA proficiency was 33.9% versus 36.9% for the district and 44.7% statewide; Math proficiency was 27.0% versus 32.1% and 37.3%; and 5th-grade Science proficiency was 19.0% versus 27.0% and 36.1%. The school holds a stable 2-star rating and has ranked in the 35th–37th percentile statewide for the past three years.
The most urgent concern is chronic absenteeism: 48.3% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, well above the state rate of 28.4% and slightly above the district's 45.8%. On a positive note, Math proficiency improved from 22.2% to 27.0% year over year, and 3rd graders performed relatively well, with 37% proficient in ELA and 35.4% in Math, near state averages. Yet 5th-grade Science proficiency dropped sharply from 28.9% to 19.0%, and the school loses ground in 4th and 5th grade relative to 3rd grade. Columbia's biggest opportunities are reducing absenteeism, strengthening upper-grade performance especially in Science, and building on the recent math gains.
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