Holmes Middle School in Colorado Springs

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	8/10	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	10/10	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: July 20, 2026

My daughter went to Holmes for 7th and 8th grade and absolutely loved her experience! From the teacher's to support staff and counseling, Holmes offers a terrific community to learn and thrive in! Holmes offers a Gifted Magnet Program, stellar teaching staff, and so many after (and before) school clubs, there is something for everyone.

Posted: July 20, 2026

Posted: September 30, 2025

Honestly I don't have a lot to say but this school is not OK there's major drugs all over and there are many bullies and no matter what you say to the principle they won't do anything I went to school here for seventh and eighth grade about a year ago and as soon as I did I wished that I had just stayed at my last school and I will say your will have a few good teachers but other than that I would not recommend this school

Posted: September 30, 2025

Posted: February 10, 2025

Do not send your kids here unless you want them to get the sudden urge to hurt themselves, they lie about whether drills are real or fake so everybody is always loud during "drills" so when its real everyone is getting shot. They also prioritize not having you phone out over general safety, comfort and bullying. The bullying problem here is insane. people here are NOT on your child's side, the administration here also has favorites so good luck actually getting the answers you deserve, its a complete joke to be honest. Another reason to not send your child here is because of how some of the students are, people here who think are are animals called furries will bark, bite, growl, and scratch your child, super weird, DO NOT SEND YOUR KID HERE!!!

Posted: December 5, 2024

This school is pretty good. At the very least, we kinda cook in sports. Plus it has solid academics I think

Posted: September 26, 2024

want your school to prioritize making sure you have no access to your phone instead of addressing the recent shootings, drug, alcohol and vape problems? wanna send your child to a place where they develop feelings of hurting themselves or even worse? Please dont send your kid here.

Posted: September 20, 2024

Imagine a school being exhausting, having the most pointless rules, admins are guilty of favoritism, bullying, teachers who target kids, and more. Could never be HMS

Posted: September 20, 2024

Getting a 504 plan in this school is an absolute disaster. I am a student with autism and I have been requesting a 504 since LAST YEAR, Last year, they denied me an IEP and never did anything about my 504 and it looks like history is repeating itself, first, they told me Id have a 504 before school started, then 2 weeks, and now nothing at all. I am suffering without my 504, I need these accommodations but do they care? NO! Do they care about students with disabilities? NO!!!

Posted: September 20, 2024

Posted: September 19, 2024

Want to send your kid to school that has a severe bullying problem, a dangerous environment, phone pouches so if theres an emergency, you have no communication with your child but also, the school is horrible at communicating, they lie about drills not being real, poor counseling, and kids often bringing dangerous weapons to school then HMS is the place for you! This is the reality of this school, its bad. Kids are mean, assignments are unrealistic, getting a 504 is a NIGHTMARE, and the administration is a joke. Dont go here

Posted: September 19, 2024

Posted: September 18, 2024

This school is horrible. Im not even going to sugarcoat it, its horrible. This school needs to wake up and listen to the kids. School is supposed to teach you, not rip you apart, DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE.

Posted: September 18, 2024

This is my eighth grade year here at Holmes. This school has recently become the gifted magnet program, I'm not saying I'm against it, but they completely overbooked this place. The 7th and 8th graders weren't even allowed to get a locker unless they signed up for one. There were so many kids that the exploratorys were FILLED. I didn't get any I actually wanted. I got a year-round choir, and I don't even like choir. Also, I was never in it before??? We had to change my schedule for a couple of things. They also try to force over 600 KIDS through one tiny door. I'm surprised no one has gotten a concussion from it.

Posted: September 18, 2024

I have learned at Holmes Middle School that if you do not fit in, youre going to be targeted, Bullied, harassed, and mocked and youre supposed to sit there and take it. I have gone to the school many times because of bullying and if they like the person who has been bullying you, they just wont believe you at all. This has happened so many times and Im sick of it, I have gone to this school for 3 years of my life and this school is just obsessed with pushing kids who are different to the bottom. LISTEN TO ME, If you send your kid here, all the life will be sucked out of them just like it did to me. I have severe anger and aggression problems and I can confidently say Holmes is the root cause of it. Do not send your kids here EVER.

Posted: September 18, 2024

Posted: April 23, 2024

Hi listen don't go here it sucks the assignments are to long and the bullying. I now go to a different school because how many times I got jumped.

Posted: April 23, 2024

Posted: February 10, 2024

My son loves attending Holmes and the staff support his learning needs. He is involved in extracurricular activities and we are invited to many events as a family. Holmes invites families to collaborate with their childs learning. The students are engaged in productive learning and I see far less behavioral issues than in previous years. As any middle school, some kids will be making better choices than others, but I am glad that school leadership faces any challenges head-on, rather than ignoring them. They have a great music program and athletics department. There is also a robust offering of clubs. School leaders, Principal Karr and Asst. Principal Snelson take student safety seriously.

Posted: February 10, 2024

Posted: January 12, 2024

This school has a HUGE drug and vaping problem, you dont see too much of drugs but the problem still exists, but the vaping problem is 100x worse! I saw someone vape IN THE HALLWAYS. Your children could be breathing that in! If you want your children to be exposed to drugs and vaping, this is the place for you.

Posted: January 12, 2024

Posted: January 11, 2024

This school is possibly one of the worst schools in this country. First off, we have the bullying problem. Me and my friends get bullied every day no matter what. The staff and the school does nothing about it. Second of all, The counseling is horrid. When my friends went to the counselor because we were receiving literal threats, the counselor played it off like it was nothing. The counselors also dont give actual solutions to your problems. Third of all, the staff genuinely doesnt care about students. Students that are bullied constantly ask for help but they dont do anything. Do not send your children here, Im begging you.

Posted: January 11, 2024

This is a HORRID SCHOOL. There is constantly bad things happening here and everyone is sick of it. The amount of friends I have that tell me that they get bullied and called names by other students. The amount of horrifying kids here that love not just starting trouble but bulling and being out right disrespectful towards others that are just slightly different or very different from them is outrageous. Please DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE!

Posted: January 11, 2024

do NOT send your children here, I currently go here and this horrendous school is not safe, i drank the water and I actually got poisoned. immediately after I drank the water here, I threw up. my friends got sick too. the water tasted purely of chemicals. the bullying problem is worse, I get bullied every day for doing literally nothing. my friends have frequently gotten bullied too, We've reported this to staff countless times, yet they don't care. Don't send your children here, it's not safe.

Posted: January 11, 2024

Posted: January 10, 2024

I get bullied a lot for just being a furry and being autistic. Kids will literally bully you horrendously if your considered a tiny bit "different." One time in my math class, a kid screamed, " I don't like furries," In my science class, kids bark, howl, growl, meow, and pretend to be a furry in a mocking way. Kids here are racist, homophobic, and ableist. Kids throw out slurs all day, every day. Kids purposely miss-gender kids and talk to people about "finding God." They pick on disabled and neurodivergent kids. The bathrooms almost never have toilet paper(if they do its paper-thin), soap, and/or paper towels. There was a drug problem last year and My friend got mentally abused by one teacher in 6th grade. The teacher literally told a kid she that she didn't care what she thought. She also made it so bad that one day, most of her class was crying, and a couple of people, including one of my friends, had to go home early.

Posted: January 10, 2024

Posted: December 20, 2023

I definitely do not recomend this school. While there are thing that the school does okay with, it does not meet expectations. Students are constantly being bullied and don't want to learn. Might I add that they don't feel safe at all. Last year, there was a bullying incident (a huge one too) where half the school was bullying a bunch of kids. Then, those kids reported it and the school did absolutely nothing. Do you see why this isn't a safe place? I believe above all that safety should be the most important. You shouldn't have to worry about your kids every time they go to school. This school is not emotionally safe for the students. I do not in any way recommend.

Posted: December 20, 2023

Do not send your kids here unless you want them to be bullied. I have been here since 6th grade and this school is HORRIBLE. My friends get bullied, I get bullied, basically anyone who isn't considered "Normal" is mocked and bullied; especially if you're LGBTQ, Disabled, or if you're a furry; and what does the staff do? Absolutely nothing. The staff sees kids get bullied with their own eyes and they don't care. The staff doesn't care about your child's safety. I would never recommend this school in 1,000 years. Please, if you're considering sending your child here, I'm begging you, please don't.

Posted: December 20, 2023

Posted: December 12, 2023

Teachers and Administration at Holmes go above and beyond to assist students in their learning, school behavior, choices as students and more. Working with middle schoolers can bring it's challenges as children become teenagers and look forward to their transition to high school. Holmes staff meet these challenges with the willingness to support and encourage students to do their best within the classroom and outside the classroom. Administration make themselves regularly available to meet with students facing difficulties whether that be academically or socially within the school. The counselors never have an empty office as many kids seek to remain in counseling long periods of time to avoid classes, however, many students do utilize counseling for support which is provided and often exceeded by counseling staff. Holmes Middle School offers a clothing and hygiene closet for students in need! It is so wonderful to know that students that may need a little extra support outside of academics are afforded the opportunity for clothing and hygiene items. Some students struggle with respect, of themselves, fellow students and at times especially towards staff. I have seen first hand the disrespect (yelling, cussing, threatening to harm staff) met with calm and professionalism. Holmes strives and shows that they offer students a safe environment (especially with their Holmes security and SRO), encouragement to learn, guidance in social behavior and getting along with others and overall support for their academic achievement.

Posted: December 12, 2023

Posted: December 4, 2023

In my 6th grade year, there was one teacher who psychologically and emotionally abused me and at-least 40 other students. One day, it got so bad 2 people had to go home. I was one of the two people. The staff does not care about the students. Almost all the victims including students who did not take her class reported her, the staff never spoke to any of us. The students at the school are extremely transphobic, ableist and rude. People get harassed and bullied for simple hobbies like being a furry or cosplaying. Homophobic, racial and ableist slurs get thrown around everywhere. I had water sprayed at my back for literally sitting down. The staff never addresses this at all. As an autistic trans person, this school does not support me or others. I feel unsafe at this school and a lot of of others do too.

Posted: December 4, 2023

Posted: December 3, 2023

I write this as a parent, coach, and substitute teacher of Holmes Middle School. Holmes has a reputation as a desired school to teach and enroll in because of its caring and proactive administration, excellent teachers, supportive families, and its variety of programs. If you need a fancy building - look elsewhere. If you demand perfection - move along. But if you want a place where students are heard, the staff works hard to keep young people safe, and your student can learn to (in the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes) sail - sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it, then Holmes might be your place.

Posted: December 3, 2023

Posted: November 16, 2023

If i could vote a negative amount of stars for safety, I would. My daughter was seriously bullied. The school suspended the boys for one week. My daughter now suffers PTSD, depression, and anxiety. If you can send your kids to any other school, I'd recommend it.

Posted: November 16, 2023

Posted: October 6, 2023

Appreciate the structure the principal and his team have put into rebuilding the school environment coming out of the Pandemic. I like the engagement opportunities the school is providing to keep the parents connected and all the teachers my daughter has had over the last 2 years she has enjoyed. Would love to see continuing improvement to the school grounds and the sports fields.

Posted: October 6, 2023

Posted: August 13, 2023

My daughter completed all 3 years here including during covid which they handled extremely well given all the challenges! The new principal that came about 4 years ago has done an incredible job of focusing on the student achievement and teacher retention. The prior principal had really let things go and so things were going in the wrong direction, but principal Karr wasted no time to get things back on the right track.
My son is in his last year and has also had a great experience.
The number and variety of exploratory classes is better than the other middle schools around.
They have old-school Shop class and Home Ec with sewing and cooking.
Their PE and Athletics program is spot on with encouraging kids to experiment and try new things versus being too intense and specializing too soon.
There is a good coding and robotics focus that is getting more development and that feeds well into Coronado high School who has a strong robotics team that is competed in Nationals for multiple years.
The band program is excellent and feeds into the high school band program that is highly accomplished in regionals and state every year.
I don't know anything about the special ed offerings.
The Gifted program has been fairly lack luster but the fact that you can have advanced core class makes up for that for sure.
I have appreciated the diversity of the student body. My daughter has certainly noticed how monocultural some of the other schools are and is happy to be some place that is more reflective of our country as a whole.
The new district superintendent seems to be settling in well and actually making great choices for local schools to have more control over budget and programming. Pleasant surprise.
My kids take the bus every year and have not encountered any problems. I highly recommend Holmes.

Posted: August 13, 2023

Posted: May 25, 2023

School is filthy, kids are rude and bullies, staff is uncaring and makes you feel uncomfortable

Posted: May 25, 2023

Posted: March 24, 2023

As a parent, I wanted to find a middle school environment that would handle my children's' transition from elementary school to middle school with care. I have found that place in Holmes Middle School. Their administration team, school counselors, teaching staff, and the parent community provide a strong and healthy place for your student to thrive. The push toward academic growth and achievement, the clubs options, the social-emotional supports for teenagers, the athletics and arts programming are one-of-a-kind. If you are looking for an amazing middle school experience, pick Holmes!

Posted: March 24, 2023

Posted: February 22, 2023

very difficult school to deal with... they destroy children's lives, then blame the parents. they do not -CARE-, although some of them do... but overall, its a mad house. if you want your child to fall apart, if you want your child to have access to drugs/alcohol. if you want your child around a staff that does not care, this is your place.

Posted: February 22, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2022

(I teach in d11)
Great leadership, and a very warm and welcomeing environment. I have had one student go through Holmes and and another one currently. I highly recommend!

Posted: September 20, 2022

Posted: December 13, 2021

very bad... diarrhea school. soo garbafge. j

Posted: December 13, 2021

Posted: January 5, 2021

New principal is terrible. Could care less about the students and their education. Multiple parents have requested to have their children switch back over to a hybrid schedule because the online platform is terrible. He has declined students to attend in person classes. Would rather have his staff teach online. The online classes are a joke. Your student will only receive a 10 minute learning sessions per class.

Posted: January 5, 2021

Posted: September 29, 2019

Students who are bullies are not removed from classes as soon as they should. Bullies behavior affects other students and teachers ability to teach.

Posted: September 29, 2019

In general good. Too bad some students are not considerate of others. Teachers spend more time dealing with problems rather than teaching in some classes. Subs are frequently expected to deal with students whose on,y goal is to be disruptive.

Posted: June 20, 2019

Good experience overall, the staff works hard to overcome challenges.

Posted: June 20, 2019

Posted: March 22, 2019

The staff is very committed to excellent management practices. The teachers are involved and caring. My oldest grandchild is in the gifted program which really helps her to continue to develop academically. We really appreciate the diversity of the student body and the experiences this gives her in relationships.

Posted: March 22, 2019

They give good, clear instructions, and communicate well to students.

Posted: March 22, 2019

The leadership has dealt well with needed staff changes.

Posted: March 22, 2019

Posted: March 18, 2019

Holmes did a great job preparing our sons' for high school. We did have some concerns with leadership but the District took action and remedied the problem adequately.

Posted: April 25, 2017

This school says it has zero tolerance for bullies but this is not true. I am a student here at this school and I have been bullied every day since I started here. The staff including the assistant principle chooses certain students that he will do anything for including look the other way when he knows that that people are being bullied. The students get no help with anything and when we ( the students) ask for help the teachers make us feel like we are stupid. No encouragement, no help, no communication from anyone . If you do not have money or are not living in a fancy house then you get treated like you are trash. I feel that students should get help that they ask for and the staff (including the principles) should welcome all students and faculty. I would not recommend this school to anyone ever.

Posted: December 17, 2014

I am a student at holmes and i have noticed that not only teachers dont teach but kids dont learn ANYTHING because their learning standards are so 20th century there is almost no technology and being used to a DODEA 21ist century learning this seems VERY below their double accelerated program atleast in 6th grade does not teach any us ANYTHING and because of that were not only not learning but actually falling below the average students because were not learning 6 nor 7 grade level math. In LA they only use the actual teacher to teach NOTHING and i think i can talk for everyone we all feel like were in a classroom with NO resources available

Posted: April 23, 2014

Holmes is such a great school!!!! The teachers treat you so kindly and all of your classmates feel like family!!!! Holmes has great extra curricular activities like art, technology and home-ec!!! The sport teams are coached by great coaches and are so fun to be on! I can't imagine a better middle school!!!!!

Posted: December 18, 2011

Holmes Middle School is amazing. I go there now. The teachers know what they're doing and are nice. The band program is exceptional. There are lots of extracurricular activities and the school consistently scores well on state tests. The school is safe with hardly any fights or drug problems. Go there, and you'll be happy you did.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Mountain Shadows	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	3.5 mi
2	Cheyenne Mountain	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	6.1 mi
3	Windmill Apartments	Apartment Complex	Colorado Springs	CO	6.4 mi
4	Dakota Ridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	7.1 mi
5	Comanche Village	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fort carson	CO	8.5 mi
6	Briargate - Fairfax	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	8.8 mi
7	Pronghorn Meadows	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	9 mi
8	Cordera	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	9.5 mi
9	Wolf Ranch	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	9.5 mi
10	Stetson Hills	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	9.8 mi
11	Wolf Ranch (Briargate)	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	10 mi
12	Security Valley	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	10.4 mi
13	Flying Horse	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	10.9 mi
14	Falcon	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Peyton	CO	13.4 mi
15	Forest Lakes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Monument	CO	13.6 mi
16	Fountain Valley	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	13.6 mi
17	Meridian Ranch	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Peyton	CO	15.8 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Colorado Springs Co	Colorado Springs	CO	2.9 mi
2	North Cheyenne Canyon	Colorado Springs	CO	6 mi
3	Manitou Springs	Colorado Springs	CO	6.9 mi
4	North Gate Blvd	Colorado Springs	CO	11.8 mi

Base	Distance
Cheyenne Mountain Air Station	8.5 mi.
Peterson AFB	9.3 mi.
US Air Force Academy	9.4 mi.
Fort Carson	9.5 mi.
Schriever AFB	18.1 mi.

Holmes Middle School

Colorado Springs, CO 80904

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Holmes Middle School

Colorado Springs, CO 80904

School Ratings

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