Original Research by School Decision on The Bijou School
The Bijou School is a small alternative high school in Colorado Springs, serving grades nine through twelve. It is part of Colorado Springs School District No. 11, the largest district in the city. The school is open and publicly run, not a charter or magnet, and it is designated as an alternative school.
The school’s enrollment is small, with just over a hundred and fifty students, and the grade distribution is lightest in the freshman year and heavier in the upper grades, suggesting that students often arrive after ninth grade or that the cohort builds over time. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a lower-income context relative to many area high schools.
The student body is racially and ethnically mixed. White students make up the largest single group, followed by a sizable Hispanic population, and smaller shares of Black students and students who identify as two or more races. The Asian and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander populations are very small, and there are no reported American Indian or Alaska Native students. The school did not report data on students with disabilities or English learners; a family may want to ask the school directly about how it serves those populations.
This is an alternative school, which often means it is designed for students who have not thrived in a traditional comprehensive high school setting. The alternative designation can reflect a variety of missions, such as credit recovery, a smaller and more individualized learning environment, or a focus on students who are at risk of not graduating. The school’s grade configuration and small size reinforce that picture. A parent considering this school should expect a nontraditional approach and should confirm with the school what specific alternative models or supports it offers.
State testing data and a four-year graduation rate were not available in the data used for this profile. Because it is an alternative school, missing metrics are common; the state may not report standard accountability measures for all alternative schools, or the school may fall outside the typical testing and graduation rate frameworks. A parent who wants to understand academic outcomes should ask the school directly for its graduation rates, postsecondary enrollment rates, and any internal assessments it uses to track student progress.
The school sits in the Colorado Springs School District 11, which has recently taken steps that matter for families. The district raised starting teacher pay significantly and boosted salaries across the board, a move aimed at attracting and keeping educators. It also reduced the number of its schools on state-mandated turnaround status from nine to three, a notable improvement. And it created the D11 Promise Scholarship with Pikes Peak State College, letting high school students take college courses at no cost. These are district-level changes that could affect the quality of instruction and the opportunities available to Bijou students.
Colorado Springs is a large, sprawling city with a powerful military presence — Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, and the U.S. Air Force Academy all anchor the local economy. Aerospace and defense contractors are major employers, and tourism is the third-largest sector. The city grew substantially over the past decade and continues to see development, though it is a car-dependent community with limited walkability outside a few nodes. The housing market shows a median home value and rent that are typical for the region, and the cost of living is a relevant factor for any family moving into the district.
For a family whose student needs an alternative setting — one that is small, nontraditional, and designed for students who may have struggled elsewhere — The Bijou School may be a good fit. For a family looking for a large comprehensive high school with a full slate of AP courses, extracurriculars, and a traditional academic trajectory, this school likely is not the match. The most important next step is to visit the school, ask about its graduation and postsecondary track record, and confirm what specific alternative model it operates, since the designation covers a wide range of approaches across Colorado.
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