The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Howbert Elementary School
Howbert Elementary School, a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Colorado Springs School District No. 11, occupies a distinct place in a sprawling city shaped by the military and aerospace economy. The school sits within a neighborhood of Colorado Springs that reflects the broader community’s character—a large, car-dependent city where the built environment is mostly auto-oriented, with walkable nodes like Old Colorado City nearby. The area’s economy is dominated by military installations and defense contractors, and the school serves a student population that is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a meaningful share that places Howbert within the range of many schools in the district.
On state assessments, Howbert’s performance shows a clear pattern. In English language arts, more than half of tested students scored at or above proficiency, a result that positions the school well relative to many others in the district. Math proficiency is lower, with just under two-fifths of students meeting the bar. Science, tested only in fifth grade, is the weakest area, with roughly one in five students reaching proficiency. Looking across all tested subjects and grades, Howbert’s overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile among elementary schools in El Paso County—a solid standing that indicates stronger academic outcomes than a majority of comparable county schools. The participation rates for testing were high, so the results are reliable.
Because Howbert serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to consider, and data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available in the source material. The district, however, has taken steps that affect Howbert families. District 11 raised starting teacher salaries significantly, a move aimed at improving recruitment and retention. It also reduced the number of schools on turnaround or priority improvement status from nine to three, a sign of improving conditions across the district. Additionally, the D11 Promise Scholarship, in partnership with Pikes Peak State College, allows high school students to take college-level courses at no cost—a benefit for families with older children, though not directly relevant to Howbert’s current students.
The housing context for the area is mixed. Home values in the surrounding zip code are above the national median but have softened recently, while rents have risen. The mortgage payment on a typical home in the area would be notably higher than the median rent, making renting more affordable month-to-month. The economic backdrop includes a low national unemployment rate and modest income growth, but specific local income data for the school’s attendance zone was not provided.
For a parent or resident, Howbert presents as a solid neighborhood school with above-average academic standing in the county, especially in reading. The student body is economically diverse, not affluent but not deeply impoverished, and the school is not a Title I school according to available data. The school’s size—enrollment in the mid-hundreds—offers a familiar elementary scale. The district-level investments in teacher pay and school improvement suggest a commitment to stability, though the school’s own staffing and discipline context remains opaque. Families considering Howbert would likely value its strong ELA proficiency and its position within a large district that is actively working on teacher retention and academic recovery. The weaker science scores, based on a single grade level, may be a point to explore further with the school, as they could reflect curriculum or resource gaps. The broader Colorado Springs context—military families, a sprawling layout, and a tourism-driven economy—shapes the everyday life of the community, and Howbert fits within that as a public school serving a slice of the city’s varied neighborhoods.
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