Pueblo D60 responds to state data showing some schools not meeting expectations

PIKES PEAK REGION, Colo. (KRDO) – Several schools in the Pikes Peak Region aren’t meeting the state’s academic achievement expectations.

Ten schools in El Paso, Pueblo and Teller counties are on “Turn Around Plan” status – meaning they’re at the lowest level of academic achievement according to new data released by the Colorado Department of Education.

Those schools are listed below:

• Adams Elementary School (D11)
• Mitchell High School (D11)
• Cresson Elementary School (RE-1)
• Hanover Junior-Senior High School (D28)
• Prairie Heights Elementary School (D28)
• Giberson Elementary School (D2)
• Bessemer Elementary School (D60)
• Beulah Heights Elementary School (D60)
• Highland Park Elementary School (D60)
• Pueblo Charter School for the Arts & Sciences (D60)

Pueblo’s School District 60 accounts for four of the schools that are now in the hot seat (although it should be noted PSAS is a charter school the district doesn't have full control over).

District 60 officials tell KRDO they’re taking this new, preliminary information seriously and making some changes to try and get out of the red zone.

“Of course we’re concerned,” Superintendent Dr. Barbara Kimzey assured us during a sit-down interview Wednesday.

With that said, Superintendent Dr. Barbara Kimzey’s first school year at D60 is coming with a big workload.

Dr. Kimzey told KRDO, based on some recent analysis, one of the biggest concerns impacting learning and state assessment scores is student attendance.

“We have a significant rate of chronic absenteeism,” she said. “When students aren’t in school, we certainly can’t teach them.”

The district has started a new attendance campaign called “Be Present, Be Powerful” to encourage and support students to come to school on time daily.

Dr. Kimzey told KRDO they’re also putting some extra focus this year on making sure what’s being taught in the classroom aligns with what the kids are being tested on during state assessments – especially in reading, writing and math where their scores were not up to standard.

Dr. Kimzey said they’re making it easier for teachers to access district-wide testing data so they can pinpoint struggling students and give them some extra help before those state assessments.

“They can pull those small groups as needed, as kids show signs of potentially struggling with the concept or skill,” she explained.

While District 60 does have the highest number of schools in the lowest rating category compared to other districts in the Pikes Peak Region, around 2/3 of D60 schools are still meeting the state’s standards.

“Some of our schools are showing some real strength,” Dr. Kimzey pointed out.

The state is allowed to step in if a school consistently receives one of the two lowest ratings for five years. That can look like closing the school or contracting with a third party to help run the school.

We’ve reached out to D2, D11, D28 and RE-1 which account for the other Pikes Peak Region schools in the lowest academic level for the 2023-2024 school year. We’ll update this article with any responses we receive back.