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High Plains Elementary School

Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Phone: (719) 234-4700
District: Academy 20 School District

School Review
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GreatSchools Rating

public • Grades PK,KG,1,2,3,4,5 • 248 students

High Plains Elementary School, a public school located in Colorado Springs, CO, serves grades PK-5 in the Academy School District No. 20 in the County of EL Paso An.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 5 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.

High Plains Elementary School is a public school located in Colorado Springs, CO. 248 students attend High Plains Elementary School.

School Ratings

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	4/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) data from Colorado Department of Education.
Student Growth	5/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student Growth - CO CMAS - Cohort-referenced data from Colorado Department of Education, and using 2025 Student Growth - CO PSAT/SAT - Cohort-referenced data from Colorado Department of Education.

Posted: December 3, 2024

Our family had a great experience at High Plains Elementary school. Our son with special needs completed all grades at HPE, and he had the support and care that he needed to succeed academically. His teachers ensured that our son met his IEP. He attended class and participated in most activities with typical kids. In our experience, HPE is a remarkable school that prioritizes student well-being and academic success. The teachers are dedicated professionals and foster a nurturing environment, ensuring personalized attention due to smaller class sizes. We appreciate the supportive administration and active PTO, which contribute to a vibrant school community. Overall, we think HPE is an excellent choice for families seeking a caring and effective educational experience for their children.

Posted: December 3, 2024

I have had two kids go through the school over the last 11 years and I could not be a happier parent. My last child will start kindergarten there in the fall of 2025. I have seen the wonderful growth in the students and being able to see the kids both special needs and neurotypical interact is amazing. My child loves to come home and tell me all about the fun things that she has done for the day and who she interacted with. That staff is amazing and friendly and always are wonderful to interact with, even in times of dealing with displeasing things. They are always reassuring and calm. I have always enjoyed this school and look forward to another 6 years here as a parent.

Posted: September 24, 2024

I had 3 kids go through HPE over the past 15 years and sadly it has gone down hill in regards to their special education program as well as Administrators. The AP is fabulous but has her hands tied a lot because the Principal holds the final say and he would rather stand behind those who are harder to replace. The special education teacher keeps the kids from the gen ed class rooms and does not let them interact with their peers as much. As a parent it was always great to see all the kids interacting together and now you will really only see the neurodivergent kiddos at recess lunch and specials. I don't think this is fair to them. Craig doesn't say anything even when he agrees it isn't typically how it is done as d20 is an inclusive school district or so they claim. Until change is made I cannot in good faith recommend this school which is sad because there some really amazing teachers there but the overall feel and environment comes across as toxic.

Posted: September 24, 2024

Posted: May 11, 2023

As a military family we move around quite a bit, in fact, this is the fourth school my daughter has attend in her five years of schooling! I have never, ever met such a dedicated staff. My kids came in slightly below average in a few subject areas and they have excelled thanks to the strategies the teachers have implemented. Their desire to work with students one-on-one or in small groups based on their needs has made all the difference. The staff is also patient and caring. They went out of their way to make our children feel cared for when my husband was deployed. The staff also puts in extra time to do fun days and activities to keep the kids engaged and welcome families on to campus. My children have never once said they didn't want to go to school! As a former elementary school teacher I know that behind the scenes of those fun family days are hours of work applying for grants and putting in time beyond the school day to make everything run smoothly. Don't let the GreatSchools rating fool you, there are great strides being made here! THANK YOU HIGH PLAINS!

Posted: May 11, 2023

Posted: July 29, 2022

This is a small neighborhood school with small class sizes and caring teachers. Most of the teachers stay here year after year because they love it! The teachers are creative and innovative. The library is a beautiful newer part of the campus with lots of books and a nice makerspace. We especially love all the STEAM activities and afterschool clubs. While schools have grown and try to be trendy, HPE stays focus on important skills and strives to teach the whole child. So far we have loved this community school.

Posted: July 29, 2022

Posted: February 15, 2022

High Plains Elementary is wonderful neighborhood school! My child attended the school for 3 years and had great teachers and support staff. She made brilliant progress and always enjoyed going each day. Her teachers were encouraging and there were many opportunities for extra-curricular activities such as sports club, choir, and art club which my daughter took advantage of. The school is diverse and has a great community feel to it!

Posted: February 15, 2022

Posted: February 14, 2022

We have been a part of the High Plains Community for the past 4 years. I wouldn't send my child anywhere else. They really do care about each and every individual child. The school has a small town feel that i have found a lot of comfort in with sending my kiddos off when he first started kindergarten. All the teachers and staff know all the kids and i always felt that my son didn't just have one teacher helping and caring for him but a whole army of teachers helping him. Volunteering in the school i have seen how dedicated and knowledgeable the reading and math interventionists are at this school along with the SSN and ESL programs. This school has a lot of diversity and a lot of students from different countries. I think it is a great experience that my son goes to school with so many different cultures and backgrounds and he is learning so much. Along with his reading, writing and math he is learning about compassion, diversity, understanding and how to become a great person. The school also has an amazing Science teacher that my son just loves.

Posted: February 14, 2022

We have been part of the High Plains family for many years and with many generations passing through. I currently have a fourth grader and she is absolutely thriving. Her teachers through the years have been fantastic in helping her growth not only educationally but emotionally as well. She was part of the pilot program for preschool and has just one more year at High Plains. In all her years here she has grown so much within her self and honestly a lot of that can be contributed to the teachers and all the staff helping her along the way. Every child should feel heard and loved and my daughter has always felt that way here. All 3 of my kids have felt that way here at High Plains.

Posted: February 14, 2022

High Plains has been a wonderful school. I have had two students in this school and would put my kids no where else. The teachers we have had have been so amazing and helpful. The ESL program and interventionists helped my daughters get onto track when they needed it. The staff there is welcoming and encouraging and want all parents apart of the school. The sense of community is outstanding!

High Plains ha sido una escuela maravillosa. He tenido dos estudiantes en esta escuela y no pondría a mis hijos en ningún otro lugar. Los maestros que hemos tenido han sido tan increíbles y serviciales. El programa de ESL y los intervencionistas ayudaron a mis hijas a alcanzar el nivel cuando lo necesitaban. El personal allí es acogedor y alentador y quiere que todos los padres se aparten de la escuela. ¡El sentido de comunidad es excepcional!

Posted: February 14, 2022

Posted: March 11, 2021

I have been a parent at this school for the past 10 years....all 3 of my kids have had great experiences overall. Majority of the staff is great and they work hard to do their very best to make sure your child gets what they need. As with any school it isn't without its faults but I can say that the principal and the assistant principal do their absolute best to make sure that they fix whatever is going on and if they can't they find out how to do it! This is more of a family than a school and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Posted: March 11, 2021

Posted: February 11, 2020

Horrible. The principal is unknowledgeable about autism therapies and a lies about staffs training.

Posted: January 2, 2019

I couldn't get my kids out of this school fast enough. This school is pure chaos. Out of all the teachers in the school, there were only two that were good, the rest were garbage. We gave it two years before we took our kids out of thus school. I felt if we left our kids there I would not be doing a good job as a parent. To those considering this school, run away, don't waste your time if you care about your kid's education.

Posted: September 26, 2018

A coupl of office staff people are so rude and need to go work at te DMV instead. First day of school , my kindergartener walked away from me and I couldnt find her, so I freaked a bit and panicked and walked in the school and told the lady at the front She walked off and I need to go see if she walked to her class room. Panic was all over me and it was easy to see, the lady told me I needed to go ch Co in at the front desk and Had no sense of urg next what so ever and could care less that I was a panicked mom that couldnt find her child She just kept insisting that I go to the front desk and get a visitors pass , this is the first day of school and every parent was walking in and out of the place. So I went to the front desk and the the lady who clearly knows who I am from the year b fire asked me for my Id. I said I had no ID with me, I didnt walk my kids to school with my ID and proceeded to tell me I needed my ID while I was panicking just wanting to find my daughter. Then with a snotty sarcastic tone tried to be little me by saying you lost your daughter Through all her annoying smirks proceeded to tell me that I knew I needed to bring my ID. ( Never once the whole last year of school did I need an ID or was I ever asked for one. I walked in signed the visitor book and went on with my day.) so after again freaking out saying why Im freaking out she went ahead and helped someone else asking her a question , just flat out ignored me and didnt care about my daughter or had any regards for my situation. Another incident at the school was I was seeing hot lunch mistakes on my kids accounts so I called and asked them in the office and they said they will have the lunch person call me back. No one to this day has still called me back a week later. I called back the same day and said I didnt hear from anyone. Try said we have to get a lunch report from the company. Ok I called the company as well and asked them to send me the lunch report and the company did within 2 days. I went in te school (7 days after I called the school ) and asked the lady in the office about it and she said oh we havent received the lunch report back yet I said I got it back last week. Clearly they could care less again because you would think the school could get it faster than I could since they work with this company everyday. Very disappointed With staff

Posted: October 26, 2015

Both of my children have attended this school. The oldest was here from K-5th and my youngest has been there K-4th. Out of the 7 different teachers I have interacted with (a few overlapped and taught both kids), I would say that 5 were outstanding, caring and loved teaching. The other 2 were ok, nothing bad, but they just didn't seem as involved as the other 5. The new principal has brought some great ideas and enthusiasm to the school and I expect to see great things continuing in the next several years. I would agree with another parent who didn't like the computer homework and expectations, it is easier for me to correct paper homework than to have to sit next to my child and watch as they work on the computer, so I have had to supplement with flash cards and grade level work books to ensure that they know what it going on and not just clicking buttons until they get a right answer, but this e-learning is not just limited to the school or the district, but is the way of operating with the technology generation. I also have issues with common core, but again, that is not caused by the school or district either. Bottom line IMO is that 75% of the teachers are amazing. E-learning/homework isn't my cup of tea, but I am adapting. Have had one or two issues with bullying/teasing, but they were dealt with swiftly and didn't involve physical bullying, more verbal that would have been considered normal teasing when I was in elementary. I have had lunch with my children several times and the school/staff are very happy to have parents visit and be involved in the school.

Posted: June 21, 2015

The teachers are fantastic. The administrators are supportive and the PTO is very active in making the school a great school.

Posted: January 21, 2015

I have had four children attend this school. It has been a very positive experience for all of them. We have had excellent, caring and helpful teachers. They have gone on to different schools and had no learning gaps or problems. A few years showed some decline in school overall testing scores but now there is a new principal with great ideas that are being implemented. Scores are improving for standardized tests and I am sure with this new leadership the school will only grow stronger and stronger. I am very happy my children attended High Plains!

Posted: May 1, 2012

My children are not passing school. The homework has not been helpful and has been busy work. The Title 1 program has been unhelpful as they expect kids to do computer work even when they don't have them at home.No individualized based tutoring to help failing students. However, this school does not give grades. Kids are given progressing as a grade.

Reviews provided by GreatSchools^™

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Briargate - Fairfax	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	2.9 mi
2	Cordera	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	2.9 mi
3	Dakota Ridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	2.9 mi
4	Wolf Ranch	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	3.4 mi
5	Wolf Ranch (Briargate)	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	3.6 mi
6	Flying Horse	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	4.9 mi
7	Mountain Shadows	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	5.4 mi
8	Stetson Hills	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	5.7 mi
9	Pronghorn Meadows	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	6.4 mi
10	Falcon	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Peyton	CO	8.3 mi
11	Windmill Apartments	Apartment Complex	Colorado Springs	CO	8.7 mi
12	Forest Lakes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Monument	CO	9.7 mi
13	Meridian Ranch	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Peyton	CO	10.1 mi
14	Cheyenne Mountain	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	12.3 mi
15	Security Valley	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	13.5 mi
16	Comanche Village	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fort carson	CO	13.7 mi
17	Fountain Valley	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	16.2 mi
18	Sterling Hills West	Area of Town	Aurora	CO	50 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	North Gate Blvd	Colorado Springs	CO	5.7 mi
2	Colorado Springs Co	Colorado Springs	CO	8.1 mi
3	North Cheyenne Canyon	Colorado Springs	CO	12.7 mi
4	Manitou Springs	Colorado Springs	CO	13.7 mi

Base	Distance
US Air Force Academy	6 mi.
Peterson AFB	9.9 mi.
Fort Carson	14.3 mi.
Cheyenne Mountain Air Station	14.4 mi.
Schriever AFB	16.6 mi.

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High Plains Elementary School

Colorado Springs, CO 80920

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