Air Academy High School is a public high school that serves the northwestern end of Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as the United States Air Force Academy. Air Academy has been ranked within the top 10 high schools in the state for its high academic standards. It is the only high school in the United States built on a military academy .Air Academy is situated in the foothills of the Front Range, sitting at around 6,550 feet above sea level.The school's sports mascot is the "Kadet", a fictional bird of mythical proportions that is representative of a baby falcon. The name itself is a reference to the fact that the high school can be seen as a "little sibling" to the Air Force Academy. The USAFA college students are called "Cadets," and the AAHS mascot name was replaced with a K, resulting in "Kadet."HistoryThe school was opened in 1956 on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy for the 1957-58 academic year before having its first commencement ceremony in 1958, making the class of 2007 its 50th graduating class. It is the second oldest high school in Colorado Springs, behind Palmer High School. It was originally constructed as just one building, which is now referred to as 'A' Building, which was finished in 1959, and includes all classrooms in the 100s. 'B' Building was added the second year after the original building was constructed, and consists of the rooms in the 200s. Through the years, two other buildings were constructed to supplement the growing student population, 'C' (300s and cafeteria) and 'D' (400s and 500s) Building. The latest addition, an extension to D Building that includes all classrooms in the 500s, was completed in 1998 and consisted of several new classrooms, as well as a new gym and band room. Both gyms are located in A Building, while the smallest gym (in C Building) was converted to a weightlifting gym in 2004.
