The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Centennial Elementary School
Centennial Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Colorado Springs's Harrison School District 2. The school sits in the southeastern part of this large, sprawling city, which is shaped by military installations, a defense and aerospace sector, and substantial tourism. The broader setting is car-dependent, with residential neighborhoods spread across a high-desert plateau, but families living near the school will find it integrated into that fabric of single-family homes and commercial corridors.
The student body is diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share of enrollment, followed by comparable shares of Black and white students, with smaller populations of multiracial and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker that the school serves a community where economic resources are stretched. This reality shapes the context of teaching and learning here.
On state assessments, Centennial's results are soft. In English language arts, roughly one in five students scored proficient or above, while in mathematics the rate was lower. Science proficiency among fifth graders was notably thin, with about one in ten students reaching that bar. These results place the school's overall academic performance in the bottom quartile relative to other elementary campuses across El Paso County's districts. The proficiency data is drawn from the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, and the tests covered third through fifth grade for math and reading, with science tested only at fifth grade. The school's participation rates on these assessments were strong, which means the results reflect nearly all enrolled students.
Centennial does not serve grades beyond fifth, so there is no graduation rate or college-readiness data to report. The school is not a charter or magnet; it operates as a neighborhood elementary within its district. Information on discipline, staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, and special education or English-learner populations was not available in the data provided. A parent may want to ask the school directly about class sizes, support services for students who are struggling academically, and how the school addresses the range of learning needs present in its community.
For families considering this part of Colorado Springs, the housing market in the zip area shows home values that are more affordable than the broader state median, with rents slightly below the national rent-to-income benchmark. The area, like the city as a whole, has seen sustained population growth over the past several decades, driven by the military and aerospace economy, though recent home values have leveled.
The district itself has a new initiative worth noting: in November 2024, voters approved a mill levy to fund the D2 Promise Program, which covers tuition and fees at Pikes Peak State College for qualifying district high school graduates. This is a publicly reported change that will affect the high school pathway for students who continue through Harrison 2 schools, but it does not directly apply to Centennial's elementary program.
Centennial Elementary is a school serving a high-need population, and its test scores reflect the challenge of that work. A family considering this school will want to understand the supports available for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks, the school's approach to early literacy and math intervention, and the broader climate of the building. The academic data suggests the school is in a phase where strong instruction and targeted support would be critical.
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