Original Research by School Decision on Career Readiness Academy
Career Readiness Academy is an alternative high school serving grades nine through twelve in the Harrison School District No. 2, located in Colorado Springs. As an alternative school, it is designed for students who may benefit from a nontraditional academic setting, often those working to recover credits, catch up on coursework, or need a smaller, more flexible environment than a comprehensive high school. The school is not a charter and no magnet or Title I status was reported in the available data.
The student body is small, with an enrollment concentrated in the upper grades. That pattern suggests most students enter in eleventh or twelfth grade, a typical profile for a school that serves as a second-chance or credit-recovery option. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black student share and a smaller White share. There is a very high rate of economic disadvantage, with a large majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on IEP and English learner status were not available.
Colorado Springs itself is a large, auto-dependent city shaped by a strong military presence, aerospace and defense employers, and tourism. Housing values in the school’s ZIP area are moderate for the region, roughly in line with statewide benchmarks, and rents are at a level that typical household incomes in the national context could support. The broader El Paso County housing market has seen modest year-over-year changes. Military bases, defense contractors, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee are major employment anchors. The city has grown steadily and continues to see development.
State testing data for Career Readiness Academy was suppressed in the most recent year available, meaning no proficiency results were reported for math, English language arts, or science. This is common for alternative schools with small enrollments, where state rules prevent publishing results that could identify individual students. Participation rates were reported and were moderate for science. Given the school’s alternative designation and its grade band, a parent may want to ask the school directly about academic performance metrics and how students are assessed for progress.
The district that operates the school, Harrison School District No. 2, recently took a notable step to support postsecondary access. In 2024, voters approved a mill levy that funds the D2 Promise Program, which provides free tuition and fees at Pikes Peak State College for all qualifying district high school graduates. That program, publicly reported as a community-backed investment, could be a meaningful benefit for Career Readiness Academy students who complete their diploma and enroll in the local community college.
No data was available on discipline, attendance, staffing, or course access, so those areas remain uncharted in this account.
This school fits a student who is looking for an alternative high school experience, one that may accommodate a nontraditional timeline toward graduation. The small size, the high concentration of economic disadvantage, and the heavy reliance on the eleventh and twelfth grades suggest a setting focused on helping older students finish high school and move on to work or further education, with the district promise program adding a concrete opportunity for those who qualify. Families may want to visit and ask about the specific academic pathways, support services, and graduation rates that standard state reports do not capture for a school of this type.
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