Schools in Zip Code 80917

Zip code 80917 in Colorado Springs, CO has 5 schools within the Colorado Springs School District No. 11, serving 3,124 students across three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. These schools share one district but show wide differences in performance, poverty, and attendance.

Rudy Elementary School stands out as the highest-performing school in the zip code, ranking in the 53rd percentile statewide. It is the only school that consistently beats district averages in both ELA and math, with proficiency rates of 43.7% and 42.9%. Carver Elementary School is the most challenged, with the highest poverty rate (78.5% free/reduced lunch) and lowest proficiency (16.7% ELA, 21.3% math), though it has climbed from the 3rd to the 13th percentile in one year. Doherty High School, the zip code's only high school, graduates students at a rate above the district average (82.3% vs. 76.7%), but has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 56.0% and SAT math proficiency of just 21%. Sabin Middle School sits in the middle at the 39th percentile, with gradual improvements. Penrose Elementary School ranks in the 18th percentile, slightly improving year over year.

Across all five schools, chronic absenteeism is a systemic problem — every school exceeds the state rate of 28.4%. Math proficiency is consistently weaker than reading at every school except Carver Elementary School, where math slightly exceeds ELA. Poverty is strongly associated with lower achievement, but Rudy Elementary School proves higher performance is possible under similar conditions. Notably, Carver has the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.8) yet the lowest scores, while Rudy performs best with a higher ratio (14.7), suggesting that teacher quality, curriculum, and school climate matter more than class size alone. Rudy Elementary School's ranking has declined from the 67th to the 53rd percentile over two years, which is worth monitoring. Overall, parents will find a wide spectrum of school options in this zip code, with Rudy Elementary the strongest choice and attendance and math support the clearest areas for improvement across the board.