The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Manitou Springs Middle School
Manitou Springs Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Manitou Springs School District 14, a small district based in the historic tourist town at the foot of Pikes Peak in western El Paso County. The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet school. Enrollment is in the low hundreds, making it a relatively small middle school for its grade span.
Town and community context matter here. Manitou Springs is a geographically compact, walkable town of about three square miles, constrained by mountains and a large National Historic District that regulates development. The economy is heavily tourism-driven, anchored by attractions like the Manitou Incline, the Pikes Peak railway, and the Cave of the Winds. The town’s “keep it weird” character and independent commercial strip along Manitou Avenue stand out. Growth is modest, limited by geography and preservation rules, and housing values reflect the area’s desirability: the typical home is priced somewhat above the national median, and rents are similarly elevated. The district itself recently extended a mill levy override without a tax increase, dedicating ongoing annual funding to teacher and staff compensation and educational programs, a publicly reported move aimed at retaining staff.
Academically, the school posts results that place it among the stronger performers in El Paso County. On the state’s standardized assessments, proficiency in English language arts stands at a rate that is clearly above the county median, and science proficiency for the tested eighth-grade cohort is also in that higher range. Math proficiency is lower than the other two subjects but still sits above the midpoint for the county. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the top quartile among schools in El Paso County, a meaningful distinction given the county’s size of several dozen districts.
Student demographics show a predominantly white enrollment, with a small share of students who identify as Hispanic and a similarly small share who identify as two or more races. More than two out of every five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a level that signals a moderate degree of economic diversity. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent who needs information on special education or language support services would want to follow up directly with the school.
The school environment and staffing sections in the available data are largely empty, so there is little to report on discipline rates, course access, staff qualifications, or chronic absenteeism. The absence of chronic absenteeism data means the school cannot be placed on that metric relative to others in the county.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a small middle school in a distinctive small town with a strong tourist economy and constrained housing market. Academically, it performs well compared to other schools in the county, especially in reading and science, and the district has taken steps to maintain teacher pay. The main gaps in the data involve student support populations and school environment metrics, which a prospective parent may want to explore in a visit or conversation with the school.
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