The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Science. The lowest is 48% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Buena Vista Elementary School
Buena Vista Elementary School sits within Colorado Springs School District 11, serving students from preschool through fifth grade. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It occupies a building on West Pikes Peak Avenue in Colorado Springs, a large and sprawling city shaped by a military and aerospace economy, tourism, and extensive residential development. Colorado Springs is car-dependent overall, though some walkable nodes exist, and the school’s own neighborhood context within that vast city is not detailed in the available data.
The student body is small for an elementary school serving these grades. Racially, the majority of students are white, with a substantial Hispanic presence and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races; other racial groups make up a tiny fraction of the enrollment. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of household income that places the school in a range where a sizable portion of families are managing on lower earnings. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not provided.
Academically, Buena Vista’s state test results place it in a strong position relative to other elementary schools in El Paso County. On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades landed in the top quartile among districts in the county. In math, roughly half of students scored at proficient or above. In English language arts, the share was slightly higher, around half. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade, the proficiency rate was a bit higher than that. These are solid results for a school serving a modest-income population, and they suggest a learning environment where most students are meeting grade-level expectations. The test participation rate was above the state’s threshold, so the results represent nearly all enrolled students in tested grades.
Because Buena Vista serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not offer high school courses, AP, dual-credit, or career pathways, so those are not relevant here. No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access. Those gaps mean a parent would need to ask the school directly about things like class sizes, teacher experience, and the frequency of student absences.
The district that oversees Buena Vista, Colorado Springs School District 11, has made several publicly reported changes in recent years that could affect a family’s experience. The district raised starting teacher pay and increased salaries across the board, a move aimed at improving teacher recruitment and retention. It also cut the number of schools on state-mandated improvement plans by half, from nine schools to three, which signals that district-wide performance has been trending upward. And in partnership with Pikes Peak State College, the district launched a scholarship program allowing high school students to take college-level courses at no cost, though that program is relevant only for families with older children.
Housing in the school’s ZIP code is moderately priced relative to the state. Home values have ticked down slightly year over year, while rents have increased modestly. The typical home in the area is priced below the Colorado statewide median, and monthly rent is below the estimated mortgage payment on a median-priced home, meaning renting may be the more immediate option for many households. The neighborhood’s affordability is a point in its favor for families looking for a solid elementary school without the premium attached to pricier parts of the metro area.
For a parent or resident considering Buena Vista, the picture is one of a small neighborhood elementary school that produces above-average test outcomes for its county, in a district that has made intentional investments in teacher pay and school improvement. The student body is economically mixed but leans toward lower-income households for a third of families. The school does not have a distinctive programmatic label, no theme or magnet designation, so it functions as a general-education elementary school. A parent may want to learn more about the school’s special education services and English learner supports, since those data points are missing, but on the academic measures reported, Buena Vista stands as a competitive choice in El Paso County.
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