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Below Average

#1459 of 1,815 schools in CO

Polton Community Elementary School

Elementary School · Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah · Aurora, CO

A Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah elementary school where students score 6 points below what's typical for similar communities.

2985 SOUTH OAKLAND STREET, Aurora, CO 80014

  • Math 23% vs CO 40% (2025)
  • Reading 25% vs CO 45% (2025)
  • 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.9Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-4.7 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics4.7Below Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency23.5% (2025 CMAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency24.7% (2025 CMAS)
Math vs. State Avg-12.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-20.2 pts
Overall Proficiency24% (2025 CMAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)30% (model expectation from 2025 CMAS)
vs. Expected-5.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile28th
Resources & Environment8.8Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio14.1:1
District spending per student$15,158
Chronic Absenteeism23.5%

Students at Polton Community Elementary School score 24% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 30%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 CMAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CO average.

Math Proficiency23%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
40%(2025 CMAS)
ELA Proficiency25%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
45%(2025 CMAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 65 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 24% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
92%
ELA
87%
2010
Math
92%
ELA
92%
2011
Math
68%
ELA
70%
2012
Math
74%
ELA
71%
2013
Math
71%
ELA
73%
2014
Math
30%
ELA
46%
2015
Math
34%
ELA
38%
2016
Math
27%
ELA
43%
2017
Math
27%
ELA
39%
2018
Math
29%
ELA
40%
2019
Math
29%
ELA
40%
2020*
Math
15%
ELA
32%
2021*
Math
15%
ELA
32%
2022
Math
17%
2025
Math
23%
ELA
25%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 40% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 47% (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

64.5%

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 Polton Community 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 39Car-Dependent
  • Transit 53Good Transit
  • Bike 62Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,074/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Aurora), 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

$72,561

Median home value

$386,500

Median rent

$1,800/mo

College educated

44.1%

Homeownership

59.8%

Poverty rate

9.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80014; 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
Crescent View AcademyPrivate · tuition8.1privatePK–120.5 mi423Compare →
Eastridge Community Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.0PK–50.6 mi651Compare →
Joe Shoemaker SchoolEnrollment path unverified6.9PK–50.9 mi439Compare →
Ponderosa Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified3.5PK–51.4 mi572Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

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

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

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah

Schools in district
70
Rank in district
#59 of 70
District spending per student
$15,158NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.8%Census SAIPE · 2024

Polton Community Elementary School is listed in Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Polton Community Elementary School

Polton Community Elementary School is a public elementary school in Aurora, CO, part of Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah, serving approximately 451 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 out of 10 and ranks #1,459 of 1,815 schools in CO. State assessment records show 40% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Polton Community Elementary School

What grades does Polton Community Elementary School serve?

Polton Community Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Polton Community Elementary School?

Polton Community Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 451 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Polton Community Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Polton Community Elementary School is 14.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Polton Community Elementary School rank in CO?

Polton Community Elementary School ranks #1,459 of 1,815 schools in CO.

What is Polton Community Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Polton Community Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 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 Polton Community Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Polton Community Elementary School has 40% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Polton Community Elementary School a charter school?

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

Is Polton Community Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Polton Community Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Polton Community Elementary School?

64.5% of students at Polton Community 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
451
Student-Teacher Ratio
14.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
32
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Arapahoe County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
23.5%
Area population (ZIP 80014)
39,277
Area average commute
26.9 min
Area median age
41.4
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 80014; 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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