Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Ponderosa Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

820^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Ponderosa Elementary School is a public elementary school in Aurora, Colorado, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 572 students. The school is part of the Cherry Creek School District No. 5, which is ranked 30th out of 115 school districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of a relatively high-performing district, Ponderosa Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Colorado elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past 10 years. The school's proficiency rates in CMAS assessments are significantly lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 18.6% proficiency in ELA, 17.9% in Math, and 21.1% in Science, compared to the district averages of 48.2%, 42.8%, and 44%, respectively. Additionally, Ponderosa Elementary School has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.5% to 38.8% over the past three school years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages.

The challenges faced by Ponderosa Elementary School are not unique, as the nearby Village East Community Elementary School and Eastridge Community Elementary School also perform poorly, with similar low rankings and proficiency rates on state assessments. However, the school's proximity to the higher-performing Challenge School, a public magnet school within the Cherry Creek School District, suggests that there may be opportunities for Ponderosa Elementary School to learn from and collaborate with its more successful counterparts to improve its academic outcomes.

634

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,789

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%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Ponderosa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 31st percentile in 2015 → 14th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (19% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg45%

Colorado avg40%

820^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From bottom 31% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

42^nd of 46Elementary Schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5

30^th of 115Cherry 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
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
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
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
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
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

Male (2025)12th percentile~ school

White (2025)11th percentile-3 vs school

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

Female (2025)2nd percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)1st percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Science21%-18 vs state

English Language Arts19%-26 vs state

Math18%-18 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Ponderosa Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Ponderosa Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Ponderosa Elementary School

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 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%)	13.9	820^th of 950 public elementary schools	13.7%		13.8	824^th of 943 public elementary schools	12.6%	4	10.3	20.8	26.2				18.6	11.8	19.3	23.6				17.9	21.1		$16,789
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%)	10.1	885^th of 950 public elementary schools	6.8%		10.6	870^th of 943 public elementary schools	7.7%	15	10.8	14.7	19.3				15.2	14.2	11.0	16.1				13.8	20.0		$17,296
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%)	9.8	887^th of 950 public elementary schools	6.6%		17	780^th of 943 public elementary schools	17.3%	107	20.2	5.0	28.7				18.3	9.9	5.5	19.8				11.8	9.5		$32,171
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%)	9.5	894^th of 950 public elementary schools	5.9%		10.1	881^st of 943 public elementary schools	6.6%	13	10.0	11.7	28.1				16.4	15.3	4.9	17.9				12.5	12.7		$19,153
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%)	18.2	763^rd of 950 public elementary schools	19.7%		26	662^nd of 943 public elementary schools	29.8%	101	22.4	31.9	21.0				24.7	24.5	19.6	25.4				23.5	15.9		$21,572
Challenge School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	9659 East Mississippi Avenue	Denver	80247	Arapahoe 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%)	99	5^th of 950 public elementary schools	99.5%		98.8	5^th of 943 public elementary schools	99.5%		82.0	84.7	97.4	90.1	93.2	98.6	91.3	90.2	87.5	92.2	90.1	90.5	94.4	90.9	89.5	94.4	$16,722
Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado Aurora	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	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)																	$28,541
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%)	11.3	865^th of 950 public elementary schools	8.9%		13.5	830^th of 943 public elementary schools	12.0%	35		33.3					18.3	5.9	18.9	8.2				10.9	8.5		$18,950
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%)	8.6	913^th of 950 public elementary schools	3.9%		8.9	902^nd of 943 public elementary schools	4.3%	11	16.3	8.5	15.8				13.7	16.2	10.6	11.9				13.1	14.8		$18,205
Aurora Quest K-8	Public	K-8	472 South Wheeling St	Aurora	80012	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%)	99.2	3^rd of 950 public elementary schools	99.7%		99.1	2^nd of 943 public elementary schools	99.8%	1	92.0	78.9	94.9	94.3	82.4	82.1	87.2	98.0	92.7	94.9	93.2	91.8	94.0	93.8	91.5	76.2	$18,107

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponderosa Elementary School

How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary School?

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

What district is Ponderosa Elementary School in?

Cherry Creek School District No. 5

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 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

Is Ponderosa Elementary School a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.7% of Colorado elementary schools.

Rate Ponderosa Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Elementary School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Aurora, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ponderosa Elementary School!

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.