Colorado Military Academy, Colorado Springs CO

Original Research by School Decision on Colorado Military Academy

Colorado Military Academy is a public charter school in Colorado Springs that serves students from preschool through twelfth grade. It operates under the State Charter School Institute, Colorado’s statewide authorizer, and was the only school in that district for which recent district-level changes were searched and none were found. The school describes itself as a regular school despite its military-themed name and structure, and it is not a magnet or alternative program. Because the state’s data on programs and course access was not available, a full picture of what the academy offers beyond its core curriculum is limited.

The school sits in a sprawling, car-dependent city where the military and defense sector dominate the economy. Multiple bases in the region—Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and the U.S. Air Force Academy—are major employers, and defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have a large presence. Housing values in the area around the school are near the state median, and the rental market is comparable to national levels. The city has grown steadily over recent decades, and its public schools serve a broad mix of families across many neighborhoods.

Colorado Military Academy’s enrollment is moderate for a PK-12 campus, with grade sizes that taper noticeably at the high school level: the elementary grades each hold about half a hundred students, while the upper high school grades have smaller cohorts. The student body is diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by white students, Black students, and students of two or more races. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school near the midpoint for economic need in the area.

State testing results for the 2024-25 school year show levels of proficiency that are below the midpoint when compared with districts across El Paso County. In math, just over one in six students in grades three through eight scored at the proficient or advanced level. In English language arts, about one in four students reached that bar. Science results varied by grade. At grade five, slightly more than one in three students were proficient, but at grade eight that share dropped to about one in four. Participation rates on all tests were high, which means the results reflect nearly the entire tested population. The school’s overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades falls below the midpoint of the county’s districts.

Because Colorado Military Academy serves grades PK through 12, a four-year graduation rate would normally be expected, but the data did not include one. Whether this is because the school’s high school enrollment is young or because the rate was not reported is not stated in the available records. A parent considering the high school program may want to ask the school directly about its graduation outcomes and postsecondary pathways.

No information was provided on the school’s staffing ratios, teacher qualifications, discipline incidents, or attendance patterns, so it is not possible to speak to those dimensions of the school environment. The school operates as a charter, which means it has some autonomy over its curriculum and operations within the State Charter School Institute’s oversight.

For a family drawn to a structured, military-influenced environment and the convenience of a single campus from preschool through twelfth grade, Colorado Military Academy offers that pathway. The academic performance numbers, however, are soft, and the school lags the typical proficiency levels seen across the county. A parent should weigh the school’s distinctive setting and smaller high school classes against the test results and ask about supports for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards. With limited public information on programs and outcomes available here, direct conversations with the school would be a necessary next step.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 1 student · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

473 schools plotted. 26 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grades 3-817%

School 17% · District 29% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grades 3-826%

School 26% · District 40% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 30% · ▲ 7 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 33% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolState Charter School Institute, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income18%Higher-income33%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income30%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income39%25 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income18%Higher-income32%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income30%11 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income12%Higher-income21%9 pp gap