Pikes Peak Urban living is in the process of rebranding. We’re working with some incredibly talented people and are very excited about the coming look. Thank you for your patience as we work to bring you the best content available in a user friendly format.
Hannah & Ben
We at Selley Group spent the day Saturday with a group of wonderful people preparing to relocate to Colorado Springs. Inevitably the question of schools was raised. In my opinion, the real estate community is typically too quick to respond with the short answer of Academy School District 20. While it is indeed a great school district, we are fortunate to have an abundance of great schools and teachers in our area. Therefore we are reluctant to recommend one school or even one district to our clients. Instead, we recommend that parents take a very proactive approach to investigating the various educational choices that abound here.
I know that can seem a bit overwhelming but it is certainly worth the time. The Colorado Department of Education’s website is a great starting point. One requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act is that schools must report to their communities about their performance. The 2009-2010 Annual Report the Public is now available and posted to their website. The SchoolView Data Center includes information on Assessment Data, Accountability Data and Teacher Quality Data.
We acknowledge that test scores paint only a partial picture of what a district or school has to offer. We advise you to take this information for what it is, one piece of a complicated puzzle that can help you choose where to invest in your child’s education. From that point, take time to contact and visit your potential schools of choice.
“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.” Robert Fritz
Before I had children, I proudly believed I would never choose my home based on school district and that my children would just go to their neighborhood school. Then I had children. We moved to Colorado Springs when my daughter was 6 months old. People immediately began telling me to get her on the wait list for this preschool and the wait list for that elementary school. I was raised in a small town where the only choices were public school or private Catholic school. My parents were baptists so that narrowed the choice to one.
Ben and I are consistently asked about schools in Colorado Springs because we work with so many people relocating from out of state. Colorado is an educational choice state. The Public Schools of Choice Law allows students to attend public schools outside of their neighborhood schools within the same district or even out of district as long as there is room. We are fortunate in Colorado Springs to have an abundance of excellent schools from which to choose so we are reluctant to recommend one district over another. Ben has children in District #20 and I currently have children in District #11. We have experience with private preschool, Montessori, neighborhood schools, out-of-district school choice and school choice within district. We understand it is complicated and difficult to find information because each district handles enrollment differently and has different choice and enrollment windows. Below you will find a summary of choice enrollment dates for some of the districts, links to the district websites as well as links for enrollment applications for the respective districts. Don’t panic if you miss the window. Most districts have a wait list. When my daughter was enrolling for kindergarten we did not make the initial choice “cut” (for lack of a better word). I went to the district office and completed a post-choice enrollment form and she was later selected when they had an opening. We know the process can feel overwhelming and even cumbersome but it is worth it. We are fortunate to live in an educational choice state and a city with so many excellent schools. Do your homework and take advantage of it.
This list is by no means exhaustive but it is a start. Please feel free to contact us with any specific questions.
Colorado Springs School Choice Deadlines for 2011 – 2012 School Year
Widefield District 3 – If you are currently living in Widefield District #3 or are attending a district #3 school you must complete the permit application by the last business day in February. If you live outside district #3 you must complete the permit application by the first Friday in May. Application should be submitted to the school you wish to attend. The permits must be completed every year.
Colorado Springs District 11 – The choice window for District #11 is from November 1, 2010 through February 15, 2011. You must complete the Choice Open Enrollment Form to the school you wish to attend.
Cheyenne Mountain District 12 – The district will begin accepting applications April 4, 2011. The applications (Grades K – 6, Grades 7 – 8, Grades 9 – 12) should be delivered or mailed to the district office at 1775 La Clede Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.
Academy District 20 – The choice enrollment window for District #20 will run from January 7 through February 25, 2011. The application must be submitted to District #20 Central Registry at 1110 Chapel Hills Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
Falcon District 49 – The choice enrollment window for District #49 will run from January 18 through March 4, 2011. Applications should be submitted to the Central Enrollment Office at the Student Service Center. 7545 Mowhawk Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80908 or faxed to: 719-494-8998.
The Colorado Department of Education is an excellent resource for investigating options in education. They provide comprehensive information on School Choice, Charter Schools, Home Schooling, Private Schools and even Online options.
Please note that the above information is for school districts about which we are most frequently asked. It is not a comprehensive list of school districts in or around Colorado Springs. The information was collected from the respective district websites. You may click on the district names to link to the specific websites for answers to additional questions and general enrollment information. Each district has different rules regarding whether or not you will need to re-apply for each school year.
About this time every year I begin getting the winter blues. This is especially true after the weather we’ve been having over the last couple of weeks. I’m ready for sun, I’m ready for heat and I’m ready to begin gardening. Tomorrow I’ll be attending the Pikes Peak Urban Gardens February Vegetable Class. I’m looking forward to mapping, planning and gathering seed for the Urban Squirrel Community Garden in my backyard. So with the sunshine in the forecast and gardening on my mind I thought this an ideal time to showcase one of our garden friendly listings.
5485 Del Paz Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
You would never know it when you drive by this house but it sits on nearly a quarter acre lot, with fantastic south sun in the backyard and a green house accessible from the interior of the lower level of the house. As you can see from the pictures below, the back yard is amazing! The 4 bedroom, 3 bath house is equally amazing with many upgrades including central air conditioning, granite counters & newer black appliances in the kitchen with main level hardwood floors; vinyl windows; a true master suite with remodeled bath including travertine & dark-stained vanity. Tremendous rear deck & terraced landscaping super for entertaining & play with sunny, long-distance views. All of the bathrooms have been updated. The roof was replaced in 2010 and the home also has a new water heater & electrical panel.
This is the ideal home for someone ready to move-in and just enjoy being home.
More pictures, details and a virtual tour of the home can be found here.
We are rapidly approaching mid-February; a time when many homeowners are preparing to list their homes for sale. One question we frequently hear this time of year is, “what are the most important things I should do to get my house ready to sell?” It is a valid question and very often our answers surprise people. Many people assume the answers will include changing carpet, putting tile flooring in a bathroom and other cosmetic changes. While those things can greatly improve a home’s appeal, they do not top the list of our recommendations.
My business partner, Ben, and I follow a very specific process with every home we list. One of the most important things we include is a pre-inspection of the home. The middle of an already negotiated sales contract is not the time to discover major home repairs that need to be addressed. This issue is fresh on my mind because I have represented two buyers in the last two weeks where the BUYERS’ home inspections revealed the need for complete roof replacements. These were not requests made by the buyers. Instead the roofs were found to be beyond repair and thus uninsurable.
In both situations the sellers reacted in a way that blamed the buyers and/or inspectors and believed the roof replacement to be a major concession. The result of the first deal was a terminated contract. The seller did not want to address other inspection issues because the buyer was getting a new roof. The result of the second deal will be determined later today.
The purpose of this post is to advise sellers to be proactive instead of reactive. Choose a listing agent who includes a pre-inspection as part of her or his listing agreement. Go one step further and have a licensed roofer come inspect the roof and offer a two to five-year roof certification. If the roofer finds problems with your roof, address those issues before marketing your home for sale.
Buyers have a lot of choices and they want to buy with confidence. Besides, a safe and insurable house is not a concession, it is a reasonable expectation.
The February 2011 Edition of the Stat Pack is now available HERE!
The numbers are in and our very own Benjamin Day has outdone himself on the 2011 Annual Report & Forecast. It is data rich, user-friendly and a definite must read! Please feel free to post comments or questions. We look forward to hearing from you!
This year marks the 16th annual Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs. While it is preferable that you bring your own fruitcake; they are available for rent! Especially noteworthy is the fact that there is no longer a distance limitation. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Manitou Springs High School Track. One canned or non-perishable food item is required for admission and will be given to Westside Cares. Additional details and official rules and categories can be found HERE.
