Summary:
Pine, Colorado is served by one public elementary school, Elk Creek Elementary School, which enrolls 323 students in grades PK–5 as part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, a top-quartile district ranked 24th out of 115 in Colorado. This single-school analysis focuses on how Elk Creek compares to its district and the state, and it reveals a school with clear academic strengths in English Language Arts, a favorable learning environment, and a few areas worth monitoring.
Elk Creek Elementary is a strong performer overall, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 77th percentile statewide in 2025–2026. Its biggest academic strength is English Language Arts, with 71.4% of students scoring proficient or above, far exceeding the district (53.7%) and state (44.7%) by wide margins. Every tested grade (3rd, 4th, and 5th) scored above 69% in ELA. Math performance is more modest, with 45.8% proficiency overall—just above the district and about 8 points above the state. Notably, 5th-grade math is a weak spot at 35.7%, falling below the district (47.1%) and state (39.3%). Science proficiency stands at 50%, which beats the state by nearly 14 points but represents a sharp drop from the prior year's 79.7%, a swing likely tied to a different cohort of 5th graders. The school also reported a low chronic absenteeism rate of 16.6% versus 26.6% for the district and 28.4% statewide, and it maintains a favorable 15.7:1 student-teacher ratio.
For parents, Elk Creek is a dependable, above-average school supported by strong attendance and a relatively low free/reduced lunch rate of 21.67%. The school's ranking has shown some volatility—rising to the 86th percentile in 2024–2025 before settling at the 77th percentile in 2025–2026—but its 4-star rating remains consistent. The main takeaways are excellent reading outcomes and a positive school climate, balanced against a need to keep an eye on upper-elementary math performance and science score stability in the years ahead.
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