Shepardson Elementary School

Shepardson Elementary School earns a composite score of 9.2 out of 10 — an Exceptional rating — and ranks first among all 45 public schools in Fort Collins. That top position reflects performance across two independently scored dimensions: academic achievement and year-over-year student growth. The school serves 424 students in prekindergarten through fifth grade, operating at a 14.6-to-1 student-teacher ratio that keeps classes small across all grade levels.

Academic performance scores 9.7 out of 10, placing it near the ceiling of the state rating scale. Growth scores 9.5 out of 10 — a distinction that matters because growth measures how much students advance relative to statewide peers, regardless of where they started. Strong academic scores alone can reflect demographics; sustained growth scores signal active instructional impact.

Statewide, Shepardson outperforms 99% of Colorado's public schools, placing 12th out of 1,815 total and 10th among the state's 1,006 elementary schools. Those rankings put it among a very small group of schools that hold top positions at both the local and state level. For parents evaluating elementary options in Fort Collins, Shepardson sits in a category most local schools cannot reach.