Lewis-palmer Consolidated School District No. 38 in the Co, CO

Original Research by School Decision on Lewis-palmer Consolidated School District No. 38 in the Co

Lewis-Palmer Consolidated School District No. 38 serves a broad swath of northern El Paso County, Colorado, covering the communities of Monument, Palmer Lake, Larkspur, Woodland Park, and the northern edge of Colorado Springs. The district runs from preschool through twelfth grade and includes ten schools, among them two comprehensive high schools, a middle school, several elementary schools, and a charter academy that spans middle and high school grades. The housing market in the area is expensive relative to national norms, and rents are also elevated, though prices have softened slightly over the past year. Carrying a mortgage here would likely cost well over what renting typically runs, pointing to an area where homeownership demands significant income. The national context for mortgage rates and rent-of-shelter costs has remained elevated.

Academically, the district performs notably well against its peers. When measured across all tested subjects and grades, overall proficiency sits in the top quartile among El Paso County’s districts. In math, about half of students in grades three through eight met the state’s proficiency standard, and in English language arts that figure rose to roughly three-fifths. Science results were more moderate, with just under half of fifth graders and about half of eighth graders scoring proficient or above. Those figures come with a note: participation rates in the state assessments were around four-fifths for most tests but dipped for eighth-grade science, which may affect comparability. The district’s chronic absenteeism rate is in the top quartile among county districts, meaning fewer students are missing significant school than in most of the area.

Spending per pupil sits in the lower range among El Paso County’s districts. That is not necessarily a sign of underinvestment—some high-performing districts operate efficiently—but a parent may want to ask how class sizes, staffing, and program availability are sustained at that spending level.

The district’s student population is predominantly white, with a Hispanic enrollment of over a tenth and small shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. The economic context for families is less clear, because data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility was not reported. That is a common gap for districts that do not participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision or that simply do not report the figure; it leaves ambiguity about the share of students from lower-income households.

The district is large enough to offer a range of secondary options. Lewis-Palmer High School and Palmer Ridge High School give families two distinct public high school pathways, and the Monument Charter Academy provides a separate charter option for the upper grades. The elementary schools are spread across the communities the district covers, which means the daily commute for a family will depend heavily on where they live and which school their child attends.

One gap worth noting: the data contained no information on graduation rates, discipline, course access, staff-to-student ratios, or special education and English learner counts. Those are meaningful pieces for understanding how well the district supports all of its students, and their absence means a family should seek that information directly from the district or its schools. The district brief turned up no specific recent changes in programming, boundaries, or policies that would affect a parent’s decision, so whatever stability or initiative exists there is not reflected in the available research.

This is a district with strong academic outcomes in a region where housing costs are a real factor. Families who can afford the area will find a school system that performs well above most of its county neighbors, with low chronic absenteeism and a solid proficiency profile. The unanswered questions involve student support resources and the full picture of equity across the district’s varied communities. A prospective resident would want to confirm those details directly.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

6,405

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 13%

Black 1%

White 77%

Asian 2%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

43%

65%

Gr 4

36%

56%

Gr 5

30%

57%

Gr 6

49%

63%

Gr 7

53%

75%

Gr 8

35%

58%

Gr 38

40%

62%

Math

Gr 3

39%

64%

Gr 4

32%

55%

Gr 5

32%

61%

Gr 6

32%

49%

Gr 7

27%

49%

Gr 8

20%

54%

Gr 38

30%

55%

Science

Gr 5

21%

51%

Gr 8

16%

56%

Schools in this District

10 schools are officially reported under this district.

Lewis-Palmer Middle School

Lewis-Palmer High School

Lewis-Palmer Elementary School

Bear Creek Elementary School

Palmer Lake Elementary School

Ray E Kilmer Elementary School

Monument Charter Academy Secondary School

Prairie Winds Elementary School

Palmer Ridge High School

Monument Charter Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

52%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

59%

Grades 3-8

Science

2 grades reported

46%

Grade 5

50%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

31%

Grade 4

32%

Grade 7

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$679,009

Year-over-year change-1.4%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$524K to $956K

vs. state typical1.25x

vs. national typical1.84x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
80132	Monument	$758K	-1.0%	31.0%
80908	Colorado Springs	$680K	-1.1%	26.3%
80863	Woodland Park	$535K	-2.1%	20.8%
80921	Colorado Springs	$722K	-1.9%	19.6%
80133	Palmer Lake	$524K	+0.1%	2.3%
80118	Larkspur	$956K	-1.8%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,111/mo

Year-over-year change+0.1%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1,850 to $2,283/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
80132	Monument	$2,144	-0.2%	31.0%
80908	Colorado Springs	$2,283	-4.1%	26.3%
80863	Woodland Park	$2,091	+4.3%	20.8%
80921	Colorado Springs	$1,850	+1.4%	19.6%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$3,426/mo

Home price / national median income8.1x

Annual rent / national median income30.3%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$1,315/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$543,271 (-2.4% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.