Summary:
Zip code 80909 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is served by a single public middle school: Galileo Middle School, which enrolls 277 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of Colorado Springs School District No. 11. Because Galileo is the only middle school in this zip code, families do not have a within-zip public school alternative, making this school's performance especially important to the local community.
Galileo Middle School faces significant academic challenges. The school ranks in the bottom 10% of Colorado middle schools, holding a 7th percentile statewide rank for the 2025–2026 school year. On CMAS assessments, only 13.3% of students are proficient in English Language Arts, 7.1% in math, and 15.9% in 8th grade science, compared to state averages of 44.7%, 37.3%, and 35.4%, respectively. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 63.6% of students are chronically absent, more than double the state rate of 28.4% and well above the district rate of 45.8%. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 82.31% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
Despite these challenges, there are hopeful signs. The school's statewide percentile improved from the 4th to the 7th percentile in the most recent year, and 8th grade science proficiency rose from 10.8% to 15.9%. The dropout rate of 0.9% is low, and the student-teacher ratio of 13.8 is relatively favorable, which could allow for more personalized instruction if attendance improves. However, the combination of very low academic proficiency—particularly in math, where only 7.1% of students are proficient—and extreme absenteeism suggests that targeted interventions around attendance and math instruction will be essential. For families considering this area, Galileo is a small school with potential, but it is currently struggling to meet the academic needs of its students compared to district and state benchmarks.
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