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#1310 of 1,815 schools in CO

Cherry Drive Elementary School

Elementary School · Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Thornton, CO

An Adams 12 Five Star Schools elementary school where students score 3 points below what's typical for similar communities.

11500 CHERRY DRIVE, Thornton, CO 80233

  • Math 33% vs CO 40% (2025)
  • Reading 29% vs CO 45% (2025)
  • 16.9:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress4.5Below Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-4.05 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics5.7Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency32.5% (2025 CMAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency28.5% (2025 CMAS)
Math vs. State Avg-3.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-16.4 pts
Overall Proficiency30% (2025 CMAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)34% (model expectation from 2025 CMAS)
vs. Expected-3.0 pts
Adjusted Percentile40th
Resources & Environment5.9Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.9:1
District spending per student$14,748
Chronic Absenteeism31.1%

Students at Cherry Drive Elementary School score 30% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 34%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 CMAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CO average.

Math Proficiency33%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
40%(2025 CMAS)
ELA Proficiency29%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
45%(2025 CMAS)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 15 points since 2020, reaching 31% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
91%
ELA
82%
2010
Math
93%
ELA
84%
2011
Math
63%
ELA
53%
2012
Math
66%
ELA
56%
2013
Math
59%
ELA
56%
2014
Math
19%
ELA
28%
2015
Math
24%
ELA
32%
2016
Math
27%
ELA
37%
2017
Math
22%
ELA
32%
2018
Math
27%
ELA
32%
2019
Math
27%
ELA
32%
2020*
Math
10%
ELA
22%
2021*
Math
10%
ELA
22%
2022
Math
17%
2025
Math
33%
ELA
29%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 38% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 40% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 35 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

57.3%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Cherry Drive Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Denver map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 25Car-Dependent
  • Transit 18Minimal Transit
  • Bike 43Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,129/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Thornton), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$85,132

Median home value

$441,300

Median rent

$1,863/mo

College educated

25.9%

Homeownership

61.3%

Poverty rate

8.3%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80233; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Riverdale Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.7PK–50.7 mi394Compare →
Lord of Life Lutheran SchoolPrivate · tuition4.3privatePK–80.9 mi95Compare →
Woodglen Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.6PK–51.0 mi393Compare →
Glacier Peak Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified3.3K–51.1 mi453Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Schools in district
54
Rank in district
#29 of 53
District spending per student
$14,748NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.8%Census SAIPE · 2024

Cherry Drive Elementary School is listed in Adams 12 Five Star Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Cherry Drive Elementary School

Cherry Drive Elementary School is a public elementary school in Thornton, CO, part of Adams 12 Five Star Schools, serving approximately 354 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 16.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.1 out of 10 and ranks #1,310 of 1,815 schools in CO. State assessment records show 38% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 40% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Cherry Drive Elementary School

What grades does Cherry Drive Elementary School serve?

Cherry Drive Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Cherry Drive Elementary School?

Cherry Drive Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 354 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherry Drive Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Cherry Drive Elementary School is 16.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cherry Drive Elementary School rank in CO?

Cherry Drive Elementary School ranks #1,310 of 1,815 schools in CO.

What is Cherry Drive Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Cherry Drive Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Cherry Drive Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cherry Drive Elementary School has 38% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 40% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Cherry Drive Elementary School a charter school?

No, Cherry Drive Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Cherry Drive Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Cherry Drive Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Cherry Drive Elementary School?

57.3% of students at Cherry Drive Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
354
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
21
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Adams County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
31.1%
Area population (ZIP 80233)
47,692
Area average commute
28.4 min
Area median age
34.5
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CMAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CMAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 80233; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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