About School District 20

This nationally acclaimed system covers a wide area with schools in north-central, northeast, northwest and central Colorado Springs. Its roots go back to the early 1900s, when settlers built schools to keep from having to bus their children to the only two established schools some 15 miles apart. Colorado Springs District 20 became an official system in 1957 when this early group of schools joined forces with the Air Force Academy to form the first successful partnership between a military institution and a public school system.

As Colorado Springs District 20's reputation for honoring the dignity of every student spread, demand for quality family homes in the district brought growth and the growth in turn increased the demand for schools. The result is today’s still growing Academy District 20 consisting of eight high schools, five middle schools, and 18 elementary schools with new schools already on the drawing boards and new charter schools scheduled to handle the overflow from the one current charter school in the district.

Colorado Springs District 20 is considered a “choice” school district. Choice is the ability for children and parents to select the best school with the right emphasis for each child irrespective of where their home is located. Choice is based on space availability, with higher priority given to District 20 families with children already enrolled in the selected school. After Colorado Springs District 20 families have made their “choice” enrollment is opened to families outside the District boundaries.

Continually high academic ratings for many of the schools within the District have made Colorado Springs Academy District 20 a very desirable place to live. Many homes in the area appreciate each year despite the recent economic downturn, primarily because of the school district. Often when talking to locals, you will be asked about the school district you reside in versus the neighborhood. As a resident within District 20, you will be proud to identify the District as your children’s educational home.

During the Colorado Springs real estate hunting process, you are encouraged to visit the District 20 Office as well as the different schools you are considering for your children. Administrators are proud of their school and welcome all visitors. When school is in session, visitors are required to enter through the main doors and sign in with the front desk.

New parents to Colorado Springs District 20 are often shocked by the number of volunteers at the various school events. So many parents want to be helpful that teachers are required to hold lotteries for volunteer positions on field trips. The level of support for any fundraiser is beyond belief and often helps create a very emotional event. At left is a picture of a Christmas drive conducted by Mountain View Elementary School for about 20 under privileged families in Central Colorado Springs. As an example of the volunteerism common to District 20 families, The Mountain View coordinator admitted to adding two additional presents per family member to stretch the numbers to match the number of Mountain View students that wanted to participate. As you can see, the response far exceeded the requests, filling the trophy case at the front entrance. When the recipients arrived to load the presents, they too were overwhelmed and had to make multiple trips.