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Ponderosa Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

898^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Ponderosa Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Aurora, CO, serving 634 students in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5, but it currently ranks in the 5th percentile statewide—one of the lowest-performing elementary schools in the region. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 71.45% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, and it also faces a chronic absenteeism rate of 40.5%, meaning a substantial share of students are missing significant instructional time.

Academically, Ponderosa’s latest CMAS scores are far below district and state averages: ELA proficiency was just 14.4% (compared to 49.5% district and 44.7% state), math was 15.4% (versus 44.2% and 37.3%), and 5th-grade science was 14.8% (versus 38.3%). These numbers are among the lowest in the immediate area. Nearby Polton Community Elementary School, just 1.4 miles away, achieves a 44th percentile rank and 40.2% ELA proficiency despite a notably different poverty profile, while the region’s Challenge School and Aurora Quest K-8 rank in the 99th–100th percentile. Even Clara Brown Entrepreneurial Academy, in a lower-ranked district, outperforms Ponderosa significantly despite a similar poverty rate.

Ponderosa has been on a clear downward trajectory for a decade, with its statewide percentile falling from 37 in 2015–16 to 5 in 2025–26. Grade-level results show a very weak 3rd-grade foundation (7.6% ELA proficiency), with some relative improvement by 5th grade (21.7%). The school’s student-teacher ratio has also climbed to 18.1, the highest among nearby Cherry Creek elementary schools. While the district overall is highly ranked, Ponderosa’s challenges are clearly localized: the combination of high poverty, severe chronic absenteeism, rising class sizes, and persistently low test scores points to a school in need of targeted interventions—particularly around early literacy and attendance.

634

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,268

Per pupil spending ?

71.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1885 South Lima Street
Aurora, CO 80012-5138

(720) 747-2800

District: Cherry Creek School District No. 5

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Prairie Middle School
High:	Overland High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.3%

African American:

21.9%

White:

15.0%

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Compare Ponderosa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 37th percentile in 2016 → 5th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (15% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school15%

District avg46%

Colorado avg41%

898^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

45^th of 46Elementary Schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5

26^th of 114Cherry Creek School District No. 5 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	9.1	898 of 946	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.9	820 of 950	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	824 of 943	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	743 of 933	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.7	756 of 921	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.4	633 of 710	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	766 of 965	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.9	796 of 917	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.9	672 of 929	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.3	579 of 914	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.3	648 of 938	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.1	660 of 962	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	35.2	663 of 954	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.0	563 of 935	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.1	585 of 935	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	38.2	621 of 925	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	20.7	712 of 872	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	23.0	686 of 849	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.2	655 of 852	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	36.1	568 of 829	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.5	576 of 823	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	40.0	522 of 808	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	24.5	19 of 21	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	18 of 18	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	35.2	12 of 20	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.9	14 of 18	22.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.0	12 of 23	47.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	54.9	17 of 43	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	6.7	685 of 695	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.3	679 of 694	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.6	631 of 684	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	556 of 642	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	490 of 595	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.0	637 of 758	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.5	662 of 690	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	12.4	244 of 251	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.1	244 of 247	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.4	169 of 270	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.6	144 of 172	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	12.4	310 of 322	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.7	332 of 337	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.0	309 of 365	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	193 of 265	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	148 of 203	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.9	250 of 332	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.6	301 of 308	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	7.5	671 of 697	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.0	615 of 700	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	634 of 683	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	520 of 649	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	555 of 594	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	662 of 764	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.7	649 of 693	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	15.1	493 of 551	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	464 of 525	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.2	576 of 596	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.6	290 of 337	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2019)60th percentile+40 vs school

White (2025)11th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2025)10th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)4th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Math15%-22 vs state

Science15%-21 vs state

English Language Arts14%-30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ponderosa Elementary School

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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 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
Ponderosa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1885 South Lima Street	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 747-2800	634	35	18.1	71.5%	95 (15.0%)	139 (21.9%)	281 (44.3%)	50 (7.9%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	65 (10.3%)	9.1	898^th of 946 public elementary schools	5.1%		13.9	820^th of 950 public elementary schools	13.7%	78	7.6	14.7	21.7				14.4	17.2	14.4	14.5				15.4	14.8		$18,268
Village East Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1433 South Oakland Street	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 747-2000	821	50	16.4	65.7%	120 (14.6%)	196 (23.9%)	376 (45.8%)	30 (3.7%)	6 (0.7%)	8 (1.0%)	85 (10.4%)	7.7	914^th of 946 public elementary schools	3.4%		10.1	885^th of 950 public elementary schools	6.8%	29	8.1	19.6	17.8				15.0	10.6	13.5	10.8				11.6	12.9		$17,991
Eastridge Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11777 East Wesley Avenue	Aurora	80014	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 747-2200	716	48	15.0	65.6%	103 (14.4%)	158 (22.1%)	319 (44.6%)	53 (7.4%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	78 (10.9%)	12	859^th of 946 public elementary schools	9.2%		9.8	887^th of 950 public elementary schools	6.6%	28	23.9	18.0	27.2				23.1	13.3	12.4	17.8				14.5	13.3		$29,908
Highline Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11000 East Exposition	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 747-2300	435	33	13.2	69.0%	38 (8.7%)	62 (14.3%)	269 (61.8%)	22 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	39 (9.0%)	11.6	867^th of 946 public elementary schools	8.4%		9.5	894^th of 950 public elementary schools	5.9%	27	20.3	18.0	15.6				18.2	25.9	12.0	14.6				18.1	12.2		$20,465
Polton Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2985 South Oakland Street	Aurora	80014	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 747-2600	466	34	13.7	55.6%	146 (31.3%)	108 (23.2%)	122 (26.2%)	17 (3.6%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (1.1%)	66 (14.2%)	38.7	527^th of 946 public elementary schools	44.3%		18.2	763^rd of 950 public elementary schools	19.7%	236	39.5	28.0	52.8				40.2	39.2	18.4	31.5				31.3	34.0		$23,666
Challenge School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	9659 East Mississippi Avenue	Denver	80231	Denver County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	Yes	No	No	(720) 747-2100	560	35	16.1	17.3%	195 (34.8%)	78 (13.9%)	39 (7.0%)	178 (31.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	68 (12.1%)	98.8	6^th of 946 public elementary schools	99.4%		99	5^th of 950 public elementary schools	99.5%	1	92.6	80.3	93.5	94.4	95.7	91.0	91.4	92.6	89.6	94.9	90.3	92.9	92.5	92.2	76.9	86.6	$18,099
Wildflower Montessori Public School of Colorado Aurora South	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	1330 S. Potomac Suite #104	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(720) 432-1664	49	5	9.4	26.5%	15 (30.6%)	2 (4.1%)	26 (53.1%)	2 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	2 (4.1%)								(n/a)																	$16,934
Joe Shoemaker School	Public	PK, KG-5	3333 South Havana Street	Denver	80231	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9333	543	29	18.5	68.1%	59 (10.9%)	108 (19.9%)	329 (60.6%)	20 (3.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	11.8	862^nd of 946 public elementary schools	8.9%		11.3	865^th of 950 public elementary schools	8.9%	3	707.0	702.0	24.5				16.8	704.0	705.0	13.0				7.3	15.4		$18,043
Virginia Court Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	395 South Troy St	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 366-9594	657	41	16.1	90.4%	44 (6.7%)	89 (13.5%)	450 (68.5%)	27 (4.1%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	41 (6.2%)	6.3	933^rd of 946 public elementary schools	1.4%		8.6	913^th of 950 public elementary schools	3.9%	20	6.6	9.9	13.8				9.9	19.1	10.6	8.8				12.9	6.4		$18,847
Aurora Quest K-8	Public	K-8	472 South Wheeling St	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 343-3664	575	30	19.1	42.8%	209 (36.3%)	121 (21.0%)	121 (21.0%)	57 (9.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (11.5%)	99.3	2^nd of 946 public elementary schools	99.8%		99.2	3^rd of 950 public elementary schools	99.7%	1	91.8	96.6	95.2	90.7	95.5	86.5	92.4	100.0	94.8	96.8	95.3	94.3	95.5	95.8	74.2	76.4	$18,232

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponderosa Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa Elementary School?

Students at Ponderosa Elementary School are 44% Hispanic, 22% African American, 15% White, 10% Two or more races, 8% Asian.

What district is Ponderosa Elementary School in?

Cherry Creek School District No. 5

Is Ponderosa Elementary School a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.1% of Colorado elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Ponderosa Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Prairie Middle School
High : Overland High School

How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 634 students attended Ponderosa Elementary School.

Rate Ponderosa Elementary School!

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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.