Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Cotton Creek Elementary School

Q: Is Cotton Creek Elementary School a good school?

Cotton Creek Elementary School ranks 302 nd of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

302^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 68% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Cotton Creek Elementary School is a public elementary school in Westminster, Colorado, serving 498 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district, which is ranked 52 out of 115 districts in the state.

Cotton Creek Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) assessments for English Language Arts and Math across all grade levels. In 2024-2025, the school's 5th grade proficiency rates in CMAS/Science (53.8%) were significantly higher than the district (39.5%) and state (39%) averages. Similarly, the school's 4th grade CMAS/ELA (63.9%) and CMAS/Math (61.9%) proficiency rates were much higher than the district and state averages. However, the school faces challenges in addressing the needs of its growing low-income student population, as its free and reduced-price lunch rate has increased from 22.69% in 2021-2022 to 37.35% in 2023-2024.

Compared to nearby schools, Fairview Pk-8 and Orchard Park Academy, which are part of the lower-performing Westminster Public Schools district, Cotton Creek Elementary outperforms them. However, the school lags behind the higher-performing Swanson Elementary School, which is part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1. The nearby Colorado STEM Academy, a public magnet school, also demonstrates strong academic performance, often exceeding Cotton Creek's results in CMAS assessments.

455

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,031

Per pupil spending ?

43.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

11100 Vrain Street
Westminster, CO 80030-2042

(720) 972-5340

District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Students who attend Cotton Creek Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

Silver Hills Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.5%

Hispanic:

31.4%

Two or more races:

7.0%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Cotton Creek Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 81st percentile in 2015 → 68th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (52% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Adams 12 Five Star Schools

✓Above the Colorado median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg38%

Colorado avg40%

302^nd of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 19% (2015) to top 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools

52^nd of 115Adams 12 Five Star Schools among Colorado districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	67.0	302 of 950	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.9	201 of 943	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.0	216 of 933	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	78.9	184 of 921	80.0%	★★★★☆
2021	63.8	274 of 710	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.5	286 of 965	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.4	281 of 917	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.8	315 of 929	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	73.8	212 of 914	76.8%	★★★★☆
2015	78.0	178 of 938	81.0%	★★★★☆
2014	71.6	255 of 962	73.5%	★★★★☆
2013	68.9	295 of 954	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	55.0	459 of 935	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.8	406 of 935	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.6	351 of 925	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.1	334 of 872	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.9	375 of 849	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.2	338 of 852	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.6	411 of 829	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.5	322 of 823	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.5	353 of 808	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	40.3	397 of 694	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.9	244 of 684	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	216 of 642	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.3	173 of 595	70.9%	★★★★☆
2021	58.9	172 of 351	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.4	250 of 758	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.9	229 of 690	66.8%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	51.0	54 of 82	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	81.4	1 of 110	99.1%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	72.7	40 of 247	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	68.3	58 of 242	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	49.2	97 of 197	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.4	66 of 270	75.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	229 of 337	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.1	131 of 365	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	115 of 265	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.7	60 of 203	70.4%	★★★★☆
2019	47.4	167 of 332	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.0	144 of 308	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	76.2	142 of 700	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	74.9	152 of 683	77.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.3	176 of 649	72.9%	★★★★☆
2022	74.3	138 of 594	76.8%	★★★★☆
2021	46.0	237 of 352	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.0	274 of 764	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.5	288 of 693	58.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	52.9	268 of 551	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.4	111 of 539	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	75.8	99 of 525	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	76.5	88 of 454	80.6%	★★★★☆
2021	43.5	195 of 288	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.2	285 of 596	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.5	167 of 337	50.4%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)84th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)80th percentile+12 vs school

White (2025)51st percentile-17 vs school

Female (2025)43rd percentile-25 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)34th percentile-43 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)32nd percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Science54%+15 vs state

English Language Arts52%+8 vs state

Math50%+14 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Cotton Creek Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Great school! Teachers are always willing to work with kids and parents,to make sure they are meeting their goals. Lots of fun activities outside the classroom, very well rounded. Great parent and community involvement. Principal is fantastic, which is why the teachers are happy here. PE teacher is very involved with getting the kids running! Great after school and summer program too. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, July 3, 2012

We've watched the quality of this school slide downhill fast in the past 2 years. The staff was incompetent, and they were defensive and argumentative when we raised concerns about our child's needs not being met. They retaliated against us and our son when we refused to accept the unacceptable. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Saturday, May 26, 2012

Wonderful teachers and they are always willing to help those children who fall behind. Close Quote

Schools Near Cotton Creek Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CMAS English Language Arts (2025)							CMAS Math (2025)							CMAS Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Cotton Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	11100 Vrain Street	Westminster	80030	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-5340	455	30	15.1	43.5%	248 (54.5%)	11 (2.4%)	143 (31.4%)	17 (3.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (7.0%)	67	302^nd of 950 public elementary schools	68.2%		75.9	201^st of 943 public elementary schools	78.7%	101	44.6	63.9	46.9				52.5	40.5	61.9	46.2				50.0	53.8		$18,031
Harris Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 West 75th Avenue	Westminster	80030	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-1721	234	15	16.0	79.1%	57 (24.4%)	4 (1.7%)	154 (65.8%)	6 (2.6%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.7%)	9.1	905^th of 950 public elementary schools	4.7%		12.5	844^th of 943 public elementary schools	10.5%	61	9.1	19.6							6.5					6.4	16.1		$20,333
Colorado STEM Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	7281 Irving Street	Westminster	80030	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(303) 429-7836	415	22	19.2	51.8%	154 (37.1%)	2 (0.5%)	205 (49.4%)	27 (6.5%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.3%)	58.8	373^rd of 950 public elementary schools	60.7%		64	324^th of 943 public elementary schools	65.6%	49	42.5	42.9	58.7	52.5	59.4	53.2	51.5	40.0	21.4	45.7	49.2	45.2	53.2	43.1	50.0	36.2	$16,572
Westminster Academy for International Studies	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	7482 Irving Street	Westminster	80030	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 428-2494	258	18	14.3	77.9%	40 (15.5%)	1 (0.4%)	196 (76.0%)	7 (2.7%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	10 (3.9%)	30.5	607^th of 950 public elementary schools	36.1%		26.9	653^rd of 943 public elementary schools	30.8%	46	22.6	25.0	45.5	46.4	27.3	46.4	35.5	22.6	29.2	31.8			17.2	19.2		27.6	$17,952
Josephine Hodgkins Leadership Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	3475 West 67th Avenue	Denver	80221	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-1121	597	32	18.6	87.6%	43 (7.2%)	14 (2.3%)	511 (85.6%)	12 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.5%)	9.3	900^th of 950 public elementary schools	5.3%		9.7	886^th of 943 public elementary schools	6.0%	14	10.8	6.9	16.1	8.2	30.6	7.9	13.5	30.8	8.6	12.9	5.0	17.7	4.8	13.5	12.9	6.5	$19,432
Swanson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6055 West 68th Avenue	Arvada	80003	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-0891	283	20	14.2	72.4%	104 (36.7%)	11 (3.9%)	149 (52.7%)	9 (3.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.8%)	7.8	924^th of 950 public elementary schools	2.7%		18.8	752^nd of 943 public elementary schools	20.3%	172	6.0	16.3	20.0				14.0			11.5				6.9	12.0		$19,347
Tennyson Knolls Preparatory School	Public	PK, KG-8	6330 Tennyson Street	Arvada	80003	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 429-4090	364	21	17.1	88.5%	55 (15.1%)	8 (2.2%)	276 (75.8%)	15 (4.1%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.6%)	10.7	873^rd of 950 public elementary schools	8.1%		11.5	859^th of 943 public elementary schools	8.9%	14	28.0	10.3	24.1	18.4	27.9	25.0	21.8	16.0			7.9	14.0		7.8	10.0		$19,946
Colorado Preparatory Academy Elementary School	Public, Virtual	K-5	8601 Turnpike Dr. Suite 100	Westminster	80031	Adams County	Education Reenvisioned BOCES	No	No	Yes	No	(720) 381-2047	933	31	29.6		337 (36.1%)	78 (8.4%)	404 (43.3%)	10 (1.1%)	10 (1.1%)	9 (1.0%)	85 (9.1%)	22.2	705^th of 950 public elementary schools	25.8%		24.6	682^nd of 943 public elementary schools	27.7%	23	29.2	29.6	35.0				31.0	20.8	11.1	35.0				21.1	19.0		$9,682
Fairview Pk-8	Public	PK, KG-8	7826 Fairview Drive	Denver	80221	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-1405	397	23	17.3	88.2%	33 (8.3%)	7 (1.8%)	335 (84.4%)	12 (3.0%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.3%)	4.7	947^th of 950 public elementary schools	0.3%		8.2	909^th of 943 public elementary schools	3.6%	38	5.8		6.8	10.6	8.3		6.8	13.5				12.8	13.2	8.7			$16,793
Orchard Park Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	7395 Zuni Street	Denver	80221	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-2300	531	36	14.6	89.1%	51 (9.6%)	14 (2.6%)	443 (83.4%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	14 (2.6%)	12.5	851^st of 950 public elementary schools	10.4%		11.8	857^th of 943 public elementary schools	9.1%	6	19.0	21.6	13.2	9.7	37.5	17.6	19.6	19.0	35.1	13.2		10.9		13.2	11.3	6.1	$19,086

Frequently Asked Questions about Cotton Creek Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Cotton Creek Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cotton Creek Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Silver Hills Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Cotton Creek Elementary School?

Students at Cotton Creek Elementary School are 55% White, 31% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What district is Cotton Creek Elementary School in?

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Is Cotton Creek Elementary School a good school?

Cotton Creek Elementary School ranks 302^nd of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cotton Creek Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 455 students attended Cotton Creek Elementary School.

Rate Cotton Creek Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Elementary School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Westminster, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Cotton Creek Elementary School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.