The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Atlas Preparatory Elementary School
Atlas Preparatory Elementary School is a public charter school in Colorado Springs serving kindergarten through fourth grade. It is part of the Harrison School District No. 2, a district that covers part of the city’s southeastern and eastern neighborhoods. The school sits on the south side of Colorado Springs, near Murray Avenue, in a part of the city shaped by a major military and aerospace economy. The city overall is large and car-dependent, with a strong military presence from nearby bases and a growing population that has pushed residential development outward. Housing values in the school’s immediate zip code are below the state average, and home prices have softened slightly, while rents have held steady.
The school enrolls a small student body for its grade band. The student population is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a small share of white students and an even smaller share of Black students. A very large share of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. The data did not include counts of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent should ask the school directly about its support for those groups.
Academically, on Colorado’s state assessments for math and English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was very low. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects placed it in the bottom quartile when compared with elementary schools across El Paso County. Participation on test day was high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. For a school serving only early elementary grades, these scores capture the foundation years, and a parent may want to have a direct conversation with the school about its academic program and how it supports students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
Because the school ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s charter status means it operates with some autonomy from the district, though it remains a public school that cannot charge tuition. The district itself recently won voter approval for a mill levy that funds the D2 Promise Program, which covers tuition and fees at Pikes Peak State College for qualifying district high school graduates. That is a longer-term benefit for families who continue within the district after elementary school.
Atlas Preparatory Elementary is a school where the academic results are a clear concern. Its strengths lie in what is not yet measurable from the data: the potential of a charter school’s focused mission and the district’s commitment to a college-affordability program for its high school graduates. For a parent looking at this school, the central question is how the school intends to move its young students toward proficiency in reading and math, and what supplemental supports are available. The school’s small size and early grade span create a setting where families who are closely engaged may have a direct line to the classroom. But the testing data signals that many students are not yet on that path, and the school itself is the best source for a detailed plan.
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