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Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary

Q: Is Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary a good school?

Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary ranks 541 st of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-5

541^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary is a public charter elementary school in Fort Collins, Colorado, serving 195 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the State Charter School Institute district, which is ranked 50 out of 115 districts in Colorado and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school has a lower student-teacher ratio compared to nearby Poudre School District schools, it faces some unique challenges. Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.9% to 51.0%, significantly higher than the Poudre School District average of around 27.7%. The school's performance on CMAS tests has been mixed, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math lower than the state averages, but its 5th-grade Science proficiency rate higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42.76% to 54.36%, compared to the lower rates in the nearby Poudre School District schools.

The presence of several high-performing Poudre School District elementary schools in the immediate vicinity, such as Zach Elementary, Shepardson Elementary, and Kruse Elementary, suggests that families in the area have access to strong educational options, which could create challenges for the charter school in attracting and retaining students. Addressing the school's performance and equity-related factors, such as chronic absenteeism and free and reduced lunch rates, could be crucial for its long-term success and the educational outcomes of its students.

240

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,639

Per pupil spending ?

47.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4800 Wheaton Dr
Fort Collins, CO 80525-3400

(970) 226-2800

District: State Charter School Institute

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.3%

Hispanic:

21.3%

Two or more races:

9.6%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 23rd percentile in 2021 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 43rd (2025) from a 23rd-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (42% vs 28% Colorado)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg34%

Colorado avg40%

541^st of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 36 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 15Elementary Schools in the State Charter School Institute

50^th of 115State Charter School Institute 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	38.4	541 of 950	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.1	494 of 943	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.7	371 of 933	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.2	615 of 921	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.2	546 of 710	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.9	471 of 965	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	374 of 917	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.1	301 of 929	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.1	331 of 914	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	75.4	196 of 938	79.1%	★★★★☆
2014	66.6	313 of 962	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.3	351 of 954	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	76.4	200 of 935	78.6%	★★★★☆
2011	64.1	363 of 935	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	50.4	511 of 925	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	38.4	597 of 872	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	39.4	329 of 525	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2023)37th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Science42%+3 vs state

English Language Arts39%-6 vs state

Math31%-5 vs state

3.3

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, July 20, 2017

This is such a wonderful and unique school! No homework in K-3 and only a little in 4-5, class sizes that allow for real learning, enough recess time and a curriculum including art, music and drama rounds out this unique school. My kids absolutely LOVE it here and the teachers and staff really care about the kids! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, March 10, 2015

the teachers that T R Paul have hired are often 1st year teachers with little to no experience. I have both witnessed and experienced two of the teachers be repeatedly mean to students. The parents have had to change teachers or even schools to avoid this and reduce the harm done to their child. I regret having enrolled my child in this school Close Quote

Schools Near Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary

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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	4800 Wheaton Dr	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 226-2800	240	18	13.7	47.5%	159 (66.3%)	6 (2.5%)	51 (21.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.6%)	38.4	541^st of 950 public elementary schools	43.1%		43.1	494^th of 943 public elementary schools	47.6%	47	38.1	35.1	47.4	38.8	31.0	27.0	36.8	30.6	42.1	$10,639
Kruse Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4400 McMurry Avenue	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-5625	406	29	14.2	38.9%	266 (65.5%)	5 (1.2%)	101 (24.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.1%)	88.5	90^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.5%		88.2	93^rd of 943 public elementary schools	90.1%	3	66.0	63.1	74.6	68.1	63.0	60.6	75.8	66.7	61.2	$15,909
Werner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5400 Mail Creek Lane	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-5550	374	24	15.7	22.7%	295 (78.9%)	1 (0.3%)	43 (11.5%)	12 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (5.3%)	87.6	106^th of 950 public elementary schools	88.8%		91.3	67^th of 943 public elementary schools	92.9%	39	55.7	58.7	76.5	64.1	72.9	56.5	70.6	67.9	69.1	$22,559
Traut Core Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2515 Timberwood Drive	Fort Collins	80528	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-7500	484	27	17.7	17.4%	308 (63.6%)	3 (0.6%)	50 (10.3%)	90 (18.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (6.2%)	95.1	29^th of 950 public elementary schools	96.9%		96.6	18^th of 943 public elementary schools	98.1%	11	71.6	73.2	91.5	78.7	70.3	66.2	83.1	73.1	81.4	$14,946
Bacon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5844 South Timberline Road	Fort Collins	80528	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-5300	397	31	12.8	27.0%	300 (75.6%)	2 (0.5%)	57 (14.4%)	17 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.0%)	84.4	126^th of 950 public elementary schools	86.7%		85.8	115^th of 943 public elementary schools	87.8%	11	60.3	58.0	58.7	59.0	69.8	66.7	65.2	67.4	58.7	$18,749
Linton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Caribou Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-5850	307	26	11.6	67.4%	124 (40.4%)	1 (0.3%)	161 (52.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.2%)	22.4	702^nd of 950 public elementary schools	26.1%		28.2	634^th of 943 public elementary schools	32.8%	68	24.5	23.3	31.8	26.4	20.8	21.7	28.6	23.4	32.6	$19,782
Shepardson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Springwood Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4525	414	30	13.9	24.2%	339 (81.9%)	3 (0.7%)	39 (9.4%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.3%)	89.5	78^th of 950 public elementary schools	91.8%		85	122^nd of 943 public elementary schools	87.1%	44	62.9	81.4	76.8	73.7	67.7	59.3	62.3	63.2	65.2	$17,885
McGraw Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4800 Hinsdale Drive	Fort Collins	80526	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-8335	349	25	13.9	34.4%	256 (73.4%)	4 (1.1%)	69 (19.8%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.0%)	88.3	93^rd of 950 public elementary schools	90.2%		91.8	57^th of 943 public elementary schools	94.0%	36	57.8	82.8	67.8	69.1	57.8	66.1	72.1	65.2	72.1	$16,153
Lopez Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	637 Wabash Street	Fort Collins	80526	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-8800	361	24	15.1	48.8%	245 (67.9%)	12 (3.3%)	77 (21.3%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	62.2	344^th of 950 public elementary schools	63.8%		67.5	291^st of 943 public elementary schools	69.1%	53	51.8	44.2	56.1	51.3	60.0	25.6	46.4	45.5	47.3	$16,061
Fort Collins Montessori School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	1109 West Harmony Rd	Fort Collins	80526	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 631-8612	278	12	22.3		234 (84.2%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (5.8%)	3 (1.1%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.2%)	73.5	239^th of 950 public elementary schools	74.8%		84.7	124^th of 943 public elementary schools	86.9%	115	59.5	63.6		67.8	37.8		63.2	50.0	68.4	$12,072

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary?

Students at Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary are 66% White, 21% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary in?

State Charter School Institute

Is Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary a good school?

Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary ranks 541^st of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 240 students attended Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary.

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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.