Best Public Schools in Centennial, CO

Centennial, Colorado is home to 23 schools serving approximately 14,014 students in grades K-12 across 17 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 5 high schools, split between the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 (16 schools) and the Littleton School District No. 6 (7 schools). Littleton schools dominate the top rankings: Arapahoe High School (92nd percentile, 95% graduation), Newton Middle School (94th percentile), and Lois Lenski Elementary School (95th percentile) are standouts. Cherry Creek schools show wider variation, from excellent options like Homestead Elementary School (highest city test scores: 76.8% ELA, 75.2% math) and Willow Creek Elementary School (lowest absenteeism at 5.6%) to struggling schools like Red Hawk Ridge Elementary School (29.4% math proficiency).

Poverty and chronic absenteeism are the strongest predictors of school performance. Red Hawk Ridge Elementary School has 57.7% free/reduced lunch eligibility and 38% chronic absenteeism, while Homestead Elementary School—in the same district—has 12.9% FRL and 6.4% absenteeism, a gap of nearly 46 percentage points in math proficiency. However, some high-poverty schools excel: Walnut Hills Community Elementary School (33.3% FRL) reaches 66.2% math proficiency, and Creekside Elementary School (34% FRL) posts strong science scores. Math is the citywide weakness—Arapahoe High School posts 84% SAT reading/writing but only 59% math, while Eaglecrest High School posts 74% and 38%. Arapahoe's 22.4% chronic absenteeism is also a concern for such a high-performing school.

Alternative schools like Cherry Creek Elevation, Endeavor Academy, and Marvin W Foote Youth Services Center serve specialized populations and should not be compared directly to traditional schools. Rank trends show improvement at Eaglecrest High School (111→103), Newton Middle School (34→26), and Lois Lenski Elementary School (83→49), while Heritage Heights Academy (317→480) and Red Hawk Ridge Elementary School (532→595) have declined. For parents, the key takeaways: Littleton schools generally rank highest with the lowest poverty levels; Cherry Creek offers excellent options but requires careful school-by-school evaluation; and math proficiency and chronic absenteeism are the metrics most worth monitoring.