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Excellent

#297 of 1,815 schools in CO

Top 16% in state

Willow Creek Elementary School

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

A Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah elementary school where students score 7 points above what's typical for similar communities.

7855 SOUTH WILLOW WAY, Centennial, CO 80112

  • Math 62% vs CO 40% (2025)
  • Reading 64% vs CO 45% (2025)
  • 17.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress7.6Very Good50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.83 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.8Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency61.5% (2025 CMAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency62.8% (2025 CMAS)
Math vs. State Avg+25.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+17.9 pts
Overall Proficiency62% (2025 CMAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)55% (model expectation from 2025 CMAS)
vs. Expected+6.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile82th
Resources & Environment8.0Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio17.3:1
District spending per student$15,158
Chronic Absenteeism12.2%

Students at Willow Creek Elementary School score 62% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 55%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 CMAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CO average.

Math Proficiency62%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
40%(2025 CMAS)
ELA Proficiency64%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
45%(2025 CMAS)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 6 points since 2020, reaching 63% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
100%
ELA
98%
2010
Math
98%
ELA
97%
2011
Math
95%
ELA
92%
2012
Math
96%
ELA
93%
2013
Math
96%
ELA
93%
2014
Math
58%
ELA
67%
2015
Math
75%
ELA
71%
2016
Math
73%
ELA
69%
2017
Math
68%
ELA
70%
2018
Math
68%
ELA
70%
2019
Math
68%
ELA
70%
2020*
Math
52%
ELA
62%
2021*
Math
52%
ELA
62%
2022
Math
57%
2025
Math
62%
ELA
64%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 72% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 75% (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

13.9%

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 Willow Creek 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 49Car-Dependent
  • Transit 34Some Transit
  • Bike 39Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,903/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$107,504

Median home value

$627,500

Median rent

$1,948/mo

College educated

62.1%

Homeownership

52.3%

Poverty rate

4.7%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80112; 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
Dry Creek Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified8.4PK–50.8 mi275Compare →
St Thomas More Parish SchoolPrivate · tuition7.7privatePK–81.0 mi316Compare →
Acres Green Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.5PK–61.2 mi382Compare →
Walnut Hills Community Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified8.5PK–51.2 mi344Compare →

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.

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

Schools in district
70
Rank in district
#26 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

Willow Creek 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 Willow Creek Elementary School

Willow Creek Elementary School is a public elementary school in Centennial, CO, part of Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah, serving approximately 502 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 17.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.0 out of 10 and ranks #297 of 1,815 schools in CO. State assessment records show 72% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 75% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Willow Creek Elementary School

What grades does Willow Creek Elementary School serve?

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

How many students attend Willow Creek Elementary School?

Willow Creek Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 502 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Creek Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Willow Creek Elementary School is 17.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Willow Creek Elementary School rank in CO?

Willow Creek Elementary School ranks #297 of 1,815 schools in CO.

What is Willow Creek Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Willow Creek Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.0 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 Willow Creek Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Willow Creek Elementary School has 72% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 75% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Willow Creek Elementary School a charter school?

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

Is Willow Creek Elementary School a Title I school?

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

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

13.9% of students at Willow Creek 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
502
Student-Teacher Ratio
17.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
29
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Arapahoe County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
12.2%
Area population (ZIP 80112)
36,687
Area average commute
21.4 min
Area median age
35.7
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 80112; 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

Related reading

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