Introduction

You’ve just received your orders for Peterson AFB now Peterson Space Force Base, now what? First of all, congrats! Peterson AFB is located in beautiful Colorado Springs. You can’t find a more picturesque part of the country. And, while moving to a new duty station is not easy, we can help! There will be no shortage of quality school and childcare options for your children in and around Peterson SFB. See for yourself.

Suggested Read:

Peterson SFB: In-Depth Welcome Center

Colorado School Enrollment

To be enrolled in a Colorado school, a child must be at least 5 years old by Aug. 1 of the current school year. Registration typically requires a birth certificate or other proof of the child’s age and the child’s previous school records and immunization records. Note that kindergarten is not a required grade level for children in Colorado. For further details on Colorado’s enrollment requirements for students in grades K-12, visit the Colorado Department of Education website. Check with individual schools for additional requirements prior to enrollment.

Schools in Peterson Air Force Base (Now Space Force Base)

There are special considerations for military families who are moving to El Paso County. Reach out to your School Liaison Officer through Airman & Family Readiness for help adjusting or to find out more about programs specifically designed for military students. There are no schools on the installations. However, there are three feeder schools that provide bus transportation for children living on base: McAuliffe Elementary, Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy Middle School, and Mitchell High School.

Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base) Elementary School

All elementary schools are off base and listed below.

Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base) School

All middle schools are off base and listed below.

Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base) School

All high schools are off base and listed below.

Schools Near Peterson Air Force Base (Now Space Force Base)

Families that choose to live in off-post housing can enroll in schools within their associated district or choose any school outside the district as long as it has availability. For more information, visit here. Most parents stationed at Peterson SFB choose to send their children to Colorado Springs District 11 and Harrison School District Two.

Colorado Springs District 11

1115 N. El Paso St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Phone

: 1 (719) 520-2000 Colorado Springs School District 11 is the largest and oldest school district in Colorado Springs, CO. The centrally located district has 55 schools and alternative education opportunities for area children to choose from. There are 33 elementary schools, nine middle schools, four comprehensive high schools, one online school, two non-traditional schools, an early college high school, and various charter school options in the district of more than 26,000 students. The district is a member of the Military Child Education Coalition.

Harrison School District Two

4710 Harrier Ridge Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Phone

: 1 (719) 540-4000 Harrison School District Two has plenty of choices for its nearly 12,000 students living in Colorado Springs, 15 minutes outside of Peterson SFB. The district covers 19 square miles and offers its residents 12 elementary schools to choose from, two kindergartens through eighth-grade schools, three middle schools, two high schools, one career readiness academy, five charter schools (listed below), and one homeschool academy. A large majority of the student body has ties to nearby Peterson SFB and Fort Carson and the district offers a full-time Military Family Life Counselor to support its military students.

Elementary Schools Near Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base)

McAuliffe Elementary School

830 Hathaway Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Phone

: 1 (719) 228-0900 McAuliffe Elementary School is a feeder school for students living on Peterson SFB and serves a total of roughly 540 students from pre-K through fifth grade. The elementary school, part of Colorado Springs District 11, was built in 2007 and is spread out over 12.5 acres. The school offers a variety of clubs for students, ranging from the Spanish Club to the Minecraft Club. Students benefit from STEM programs and a diverse population.

Middle Schools Near Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base)

Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy

4220 E. Pikes Peak Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Phone

: 1 (719) 328-6900 Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy enrolls nearly 550 sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders. The middle school uses Colorado’s state standards and aerospace to create a unique learning environment to educate students in STEM subjects. The diverse student population has the benefit of a robust library and technology programs to help guide them toward a successful future once they begin attending high school. The District 11 school was named for an American NASA astronaut who hailed from nearby Denver and was a pilot in Apollo 13.

High Schools Near Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base)

Mitchell High School

1205 Potter Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Phone

: 1 (719) 328-6900 Mitchell High School is the third-oldest high school in District 11, built-in 1965, and named for Billy Mitchell, an aviation pioneer. It is the only high school in the district to feature a planetarium. The Peterson Space Force Base feeder school enrolls approximately 1,300 high schoolers from ninth through 12th grade. The school has a world-class curriculum and students can be part of the largest Air Force JROTC program west of the Mississippi.

Charter Schools Near Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base)

Charter schools in Colorado are public schools operated by a group of parents, teachers, and/or community members as a semi-autonomous school of choice. There are over 2,000 charter schools in Colorado and 12 of them are close to Peterson Space Force Base. For more information about the charter schools in Colorado, visit the Colorado Department of Education’s website.

1. Atlas Preparatory Schools

Atlas Preparatory Elementary School

1515 Pulsar Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Phone

: 1 (719) 559-7737

Atlas Preparatory Middle School

1602 S. Murray Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Phone

: 1 (719) 358-7196

Atlas Preparatory High School

1450 Academy Park Loop Colorado Springs, CO 80910

Phone

: 1 (719) 302-2002

2. Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning

2510 N. Chestnut St. Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Phone

: 1 (719) 434-6566

3. CIVA Charter High School

4635 Northpark Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Phone

: 1 (719) 633-1306

4. Community Prep School

332 E. Williamette Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Phone

: 1 (719) 227-8836

5. Eastlake High School

1810 Eastlake Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80910

Phone

: 1 (719) 300-8947

6. GLOBE Charter School

5759 N. Academy Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Phone

: 1 (719) 630-0577

7. James Irwin Charter Schools

James Irwin Charter Elementary School

5525 Astrozon Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Phone

: 1 (719) 302-9107

James Irwin Charter Middle School

5525 Astrozon Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Phone

: 1 (719) 302-9108

James Irwin Charter High School

5525 Astrozon Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Phone

: 1 (719) 302-9109

8. Roosevelt Charter Academy

205 Byron Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80910

Phone

: 1 (719) 637-0311

Private Schools Near Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base)

Parents who choose to send their children to a private school while stationed at Peterson Space Force Base are met with quite a few options. Nearly half of the private schools in the area have a religious affiliation but they do not skimp on academics. According to Private School Review, these are some of the best private schools in the El Paso County area.

1. Colorado Springs Christian Schools

4845 Mallow Road Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Phone

: 1 (719) 599-3553 Colorado Springs Christian Schools was established in 1971. It is one of Colorado Springs’s largest private schools, serving children from nursery school through 12th grade. The schools have a combined student body of more than 800 and are affiliated with the Association of Christian Schools International.

2. Colorado Springs School

21 Broadmoor Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Phone

: 1 (719) 475-9747 Colorado Springs School is a college preparatory and international school serving nearly 400 students from preschool through high school. The students benefit from gifted programs, AP classes, special attention for students with special needs and plenty of extracurriculars. The Colorado Springs School is accredited by the Association of Colorado Independent Schools and is a member of the National Association for Independent Schools.

3. St. Mary’s High School

2501 E. Yampa St. Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Phone

: 1 (719) 635-7540 St. Mary's High School is a college preparatory, secondary school established in 1885 with a mission to educate students in the Catholic tradition and create critical thinkers and leaders who are prepared for college and beyond. The school of 250-plus students offers courses in three levels - college preparatory, honors, and advanced placement - along with a variety of clubs, sports, arts, and service organizations.

Daycares Near Peterson AFB (Now Space Force Base)

Leaving your child in someone else’s care is not easy for many parents. When looking for the right daycare facility, reading reviews on Care.com and Yelp and visiting a few options when possible is the best way to make a decision about where to send your child. Or, if you’re looking to secure childcare on base, there are different options to choose from. Peterson SFB child development centers offer full-day, part-day, and hourly care for your child. The installation also offers the Give Parents a Break program to provide relief for Air Force parents experiencing stress in their lives.

Conclusion

Moving every few years is not the easiest thing for you and your child to take on. However, ensuring that your child’s education and care are handled helps alleviate this burden. There are plenty of educational options near Peterson Space Force Base to make sure your child’s mental and physical well-being will be well taken care of. Use the above information to help narrow down the choices so you can rest easy and spend your time on something else, like exploring this beautiful new area.

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18 of the Best Things to do Near Peterson Space Force Base  

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.