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.