The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Janitell Junior High School
Janitell Junior High School serves sixth through eighth grade in the Widefield School District 3, located in the northern part of Fountain. The school sits on Fountain Mesa Road, a residential corridor in a suburban area that blends into the broader Fountain Valley region just south of Colorado Springs. Fountain describes itself as a small-town community with suburban housing and commercial amenities, and the school is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by a substantial Hispanic population, then students who identify as two or more races and Black students, with smaller shares of Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Just over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school does not report data on students with individualized education programs or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served.
On state assessments, Janitell’s overall proficiency across tested subjects sits above the midpoint among middle schools in El Paso County. In English language arts, roughly half of students scored at or above the proficient level, a result that suggests solid performance in reading and writing for a typical junior high. Math proficiency is lower, with fewer than a quarter of students reaching that same bar, and eighth-grade science proficiency is also modest. These are the school’s own reported results on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success. For a family looking at this school, the math and science numbers are the soft spots to examine further with the school, especially to understand what support is available for students who are below grade level.
The school serves a sizable enrollment for a junior high, with a balanced split across grades six, seven, and eight. There is no reported data on chronic absenteeism or discipline, so a family may want to ask about school climate and attendance patterns directly. The district brief did not surface any recent changes, such as boundary adjustments or program overhauls, that would affect a family considering the school.
Housing in the area around Janitell is moderately priced relative to the state. Home values in the ZIP code are below the Colorado statewide benchmark, and rents are generally affordable compared to the larger Colorado Springs market. The area saw rapid growth over the past two decades, though recent estimates show a slight population decline from the 2020 peak. The city has identified several development opportunity zones, suggesting that future growth and infill are still on the table.
For a parent deciding whether Janitell fits, the picture is mixed. The school is a solidly performing junior high in English, with a diverse student body and a sizable low-income population. The math and science results are weaker, and the school did not make key civil-rights data available. This is a school where a family should ask about academic support systems, particularly in math, and about how the school handles student needs across its demographic groups. It serves a suburban community with a small-town feel, accessible to Colorado Springs, and the housing market is relatively attainable.
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