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Below Average

#1609 of 1,815 schools in CO

Swanson Elementary School

Elementary School · Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Arvada, CO

A Jefferson County School District No. R-1 elementary school where students score 15 points below what's typical for similar communities.

6055 WEST 68TH AVENUE, Arvada, CO 80003

  • Math 9% vs CO 39% (2025)
  • Reading 14% vs CO 45% (2025)
  • 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.3Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-4.52 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics2.2Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency6.9% (2025 CMAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency14% (2025 CMAS)
Math vs. State Avg-29.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-30.9 pts
Overall Proficiency10% (2025 CMAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)26% (model expectation from 2025 CMAS)
vs. Expected-15.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile6th
Resources & Environment8.3Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.7:1
District spending per student$14,483
Chronic Absenteeism34.6%

Students at Swanson Elementary School score 10% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 26%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 CMAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CO average.

Math Proficiency9%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
39%(2025 CMAS)
ELA Proficiency14%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
45%(2025 CMAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 75 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 12% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
87%
ELA
86%
2010
Math
83%
ELA
81%
2011
Math
44%
ELA
55%
2012
Math
33%
ELA
53%
2013
Math
41%
ELA
56%
2014
Math
11%
ELA
22%
2015
Math
15%
ELA
23%
2016
Math
20%
ELA
21%
2017
Math
22%
ELA
27%
2018
Math
8%
ELA
22%
2019
Math
8%
ELA
22%
2020*
Math
10%
ELA
15%
2021*
Math
10%
ELA
15%
2022
Math
12%
2025
Math
9%
ELA
14%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 26% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 33% (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 33 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

72.6%

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 Swanson 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 33Car-Dependent
  • Transit 27Some Transit
  • Bike 40Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,804/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$82,754

Median home value

$486,600

Median rent

$1,729/mo

College educated

33.3%

Homeownership

69.7%

Poverty rate

10.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80003; 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
Two Roads Charter SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified7.8PK–120.4 mi337Compare →
Secrest Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified6.3PK–50.7 mi301Compare →
Hackberry Hill Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified7.5K–51.2 mi441Compare →
Harris Park Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.2PK–51.2 mi216Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

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

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Schools in district
148
Rank in district
#127 of 140
District spending per student
$14,483NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.4%Census SAIPE · 2024

Swanson Elementary School is listed in Jefferson County School District No. R-1; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Swanson Elementary School

Swanson Elementary School is a public elementary school in Arvada, CO, part of Jefferson County School District No. R-1, serving approximately 266 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.0 out of 10 and ranks #1,609 of 1,815 schools in CO.

State assessment records show 26% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 33% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Swanson Elementary School

What grades does Swanson Elementary School serve?

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

How many students attend Swanson Elementary School?

Swanson Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 266 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Swanson Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Swanson Elementary School is 12.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Swanson Elementary School rank in CO?

Swanson Elementary School ranks #1,609 of 1,815 schools in CO.

What is Swanson Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Swanson Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.0 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 Swanson Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Swanson Elementary School has 26% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 33% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Swanson Elementary School a charter school?

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

Is Swanson Elementary School a Title I school?

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

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

72.6% of students at Swanson 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
266
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
21
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Jefferson County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
34.6%
Area population (ZIP 80003)
35,381
Area average commute
26.3 min
Area median age
38.3
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 80003; 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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