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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 666 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-5

666^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary is a small public charter school in southeast Fort Collins, CO, serving approximately 240 students in grades PK–5 and authorized by the State Charter School Institute. With a favorable 13.7-to-1 student-teacher ratio, the school sits in a community surrounded by high-performing schools in Poudre School District R-1.

The school's academic performance currently rates 1 star and ranks 665th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools — a sharp decline from just a few years ago when it earned 3 stars and ranked in the 60th percentile. On 2025-2026 CMAS assessments, just 28.3% of students met state expectations in ELA and 26.7% in math, well below the state averages of 44.7% and 37.3%. Nearby schools tell a very different story: Zach Elementary School reaches 87% proficiency in ELA and 86.1% in math, while Kruse Elementary School — just half a mile away — achieves 67.6% ELA and 66.3% math proficiency. Even Linton Elementary School, which serves more low-income students, posts similar test scores to AAK with far better attendance.

The most striking red flag is chronic absenteeism: 41.9% of AAK students were chronically absent in 2024-2025, compared to 30.4% for the Poudre district and roughly 9–25% at every nearby elementary. Lopez Elementary School, with a similar poverty rate, has just 22.4% chronic absenteeism. The school's science scores are a bright spot, consistently exceeding district averages, and the school has demonstrated it can perform better — as recently as 2022-2023, AAK outperformed the state in ELA and math. Attendance and family engagement are likely the highest-leverage areas for improvement.

240

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,858

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%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (28% vs 41% meeting standards)

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

!Ranking has slipped — down 34 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg32%

Colorado avg41%

666^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 34 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 17Elementary Schools in the State Charter School Institute

51^st of 114State 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
2026	26.3	666 of 946	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
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%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	424 of 695	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	262 of 322	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	21.9	542 of 697	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)39th percentile+9 vs school

White (2023)37th percentile-23 vs school

Male (2026)22nd percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Science34%~ state avg

English Language Arts28%-16 vs state

Math27%-11 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

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CMAS English Language Arts (2026)					CMAS Math (2026)					CMAS Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th 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%)	26.3	666^th of 946 public elementary schools	29.6%		38.4	541^st of 950 public elementary schools	43.1%	125	21.6	29.4	34.3		28.3	35.1	14.7	29.4		26.7	34.3	$11,858
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%)	86.2	115^th of 946 public elementary schools	87.8%		88.5	90^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.5%	25	61.9	67.3	73.1		67.6	54.0	74.0	72.1		66.3	54.4	$18,522
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%)	88	94^th of 946 public elementary schools	90.1%		87.6	106^th of 950 public elementary schools	88.8%	12	58.9	65.4	75.0		65.7	71.4	68.4	63.6		68.2	60.5	$28,019
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%)	94.6	31^st of 946 public elementary schools	96.7%		95.1	29^th of 950 public elementary schools	96.9%	2	76.1	75.0	87.7		79.6	81.9	66.7	74.0		74.2	64.4	$17,001
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	138^th of 946 public elementary schools	85.4%		84.4	126^th of 950 public elementary schools	86.7%	12	57.1	60.6	65.7		61.3	66.1	64.1	67.6		66.0	58.0	$21,467
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%)	25.8	673^rd of 946 public elementary schools	28.9%		22.4	702^nd of 950 public elementary schools	26.1%	29	40.0	28.0	34.0		33.1	36.7	20.0	25.0		25.8	23.4	$21,151
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%)	78.1	191^st of 946 public elementary schools	79.8%		89.5	78^th of 950 public elementary schools	91.8%	113	50.9	70.6	70.3		64.6	56.1	61.8	49.2		55.8	47.0	$20,118
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%)	85.9	123^rd of 946 public elementary schools	87.0%		88.3	93^rd of 950 public elementary schools	90.2%	30	52.5	70.0	76.6		66.8	59.3	67.1	59.4		62.2	63.5	$18,979
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%)	63.9	316^th of 946 public elementary schools	66.6%		62.2	344^th of 950 public elementary schools	63.8%	28	60.5	52.7	62.5		58.0	44.2	47.3	43.6		45.3	35.9	$18,063
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%)	69.4	270^th of 946 public elementary schools	71.5%		73.5	239^th of 950 public elementary schools	74.8%	31	742.0	67.6	80.0		64.1	39.3	43.2	748.0		43.5	50.0	$14,391

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary

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.

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 666^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary!

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

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.