City: Colorado Springs, CO

Category: Education

Telephone: (719) 520-2000

Address: 1115 N. El Paso St.

Description: Colorado Springs School District 11, or D-11 as it’s commonly called, is the oldest and largest school district in the Pikes Peak region. The boundaries run as far west as Garden of the Gods, east out to Peterson Air Force Base (it would take a half hour to drive this distance), and as far north as Woodmen Road and south to below downtown. The district has 60 schools and serves about 30,000 students. Over the past many years, the district has seen the highest gains in CSAP scores of any large district in Colorado. The schools provide education in almost any form imaginable. First, there are many traditional public schools in the elementary, middle, and high school choices. High school students can enrich their classes with business and marketing, industrial technology, and family and consumer sciences. Full-day kindergartens are in every elementary school. The Galileo School of Math and Science teaches middle school in an interdisciplinary environment. There are English as a Second Language, gifted and talented services, Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp units, and the International Baccalaureate program for K–12. Preschools are available at many elementary schools, and before and after school care is present at most elementary schools. Performing arts magnet schools are available for all grades. Coronado High School offers the CU Succeed Gold program, which allows dual credits at the high school and the University of Colorado-Boulder. There are alternative schools, such as ACHIEVEk12, an online school for students in K–8 with a tuition-free college preparatory academic program. The Bijou School, Doherty Night School “Success First,” and Palmer Night School reach out to the high school age. The Tesla Educational Opportunity Program reaches out to middle and high school students who have experienced difficulties in a traditional school setting. The programs and services offered reach out to all members of the community with adult and family education classes as well as community education classes.