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Walnut Hills Community Elementary School

Q: Is Walnut Hills Community Elementary School a good school?

Walnut Hills Community Elementary School ranks 134 th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

134^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Walnut Hills Community Elementary School is a PK–5 public school in Centennial, Colorado, serving 342 students in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5. It is a consistently strong performer, earning 4 stars in every year of available rankings and placing in the 86th percentile statewide for 2025-2026. Math is the school's standout subject, with 66.2% of students proficient compared to 37.3% statewide, and English Language Arts is also solid at 63.6% proficiency. Science has climbed steadily over the past several years to 58.1% proficiency, roughly 20 points above both district and state averages.

What makes Walnut Hills especially notable is that it achieves these results while serving a more economically diverse population than most of its top-ranked neighbors. With 33.3% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch — compared to roughly 12–24% at nearby high-performing schools — the school's economically disadvantaged students rank in the 83rd percentile statewide. A favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.1 may support the personalized instruction behind these outcomes. However, there are a few areas to watch. Third-grade reading proficiency is just 49%, well below neighboring schools like Greenwood Elementary School (72.9%) and Homestead Elementary School (81.8%), though it jumps to 75.8% by 4th grade, suggesting effective intervention. Fifth-grade math is also an outlier at 57.8%, far below Greenwood (84.5%) and Willow Creek Elementary School (73.7%).

The school's biggest non-academic challenge is chronic absenteeism. At 23.0%, it is better than the district (25.3%) and state (28.4%) averages, but much higher than nearby schools like Willow Creek (5.6%), Homestead (6.4%), Greenwood (6.6%), and Dry Creek Elementary School (7.3%). Reducing absenteeism may be the highest-leverage opportunity to close the gap with the very top tier of schools in the area. Overall, Walnut Hills is a reliable, resilient school that does more with a less advantaged population than many of its neighbors — and its stability, even as its student demographics have shifted in recent years, is a strong signal of quality for families considering this part of Centennial.

342

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,421

Per pupil spending ?

33.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8195 East Costilla Boulevard
Centennial, CO 80112-1286

(720) 554-3800

District: Cherry Creek School District No. 5

Students who attend Walnut Hills Community Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Campus Middle School
High:	Cherry Creek High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.1%

Hispanic:

28.4%

Asian:

14.0%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Walnut Hills Community Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (64% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Colorado elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg46%

Colorado avg41%

134^th of 943

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

26^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
2026	84.6	134 of 943	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	80.9	164 of 950	82.7%	★★★★☆
2024	83.0	141 of 943	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.7	139 of 933	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	81.3	151 of 921	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	84.3	113 of 710	84.1%	★★★★☆
2019	80.7	160 of 965	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	80.1	169 of 917	81.6%	★★★★☆
2017	83.7	117 of 929	87.4%	★★★★☆
2016	69.7	251 of 914	72.5%	★★★★☆
2015	74.0	207 of 938	77.9%	★★★★☆
2014	68.7	282 of 962	70.7%	★★★★☆
2013	78.9	184 of 954	80.7%	★★★★☆
2012	77.5	190 of 935	79.7%	★★★★☆
2011	80.9	149 of 935	84.1%	★★★★☆
2010	76.4	197 of 925	78.7%	★★★★☆
2009	80.4	148 of 872	83.0%	★★★★☆
2008	74.7	202 of 849	76.2%	★★★★☆
2007	76.1	186 of 852	78.2%	★★★★☆
2006	80.5	125 of 829	84.9%	★★★★☆
2005	79.9	135 of 823	83.6%	★★★★☆
2004	78.8	161 of 808	80.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	79.3	122 of 692	82.4%	★★★★☆
2025	81.8	100 of 694	85.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.2	97 of 684	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	81.3	108 of 758	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.4	190 of 690	72.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	34.5	93 of 110	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	73.0	61 of 365	83.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	76.7	141 of 694	79.7%	★★★★☆
2025	66.8	207 of 700	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.0	95 of 683	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	227 of 764	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	93.0	30 of 693	95.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	74.1	110 of 546	79.9%	★★★★☆
2025	65.4	172 of 551	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.1	133 of 539	75.3%	★★★★☆
2023	61.8	198 of 525	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.4	104 of 454	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	63.8	185 of 596	69.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)83rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)82nd percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)80th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)80th percentile-6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)15th percentile-68 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Math66%+29 vs state

English Language Arts64%+19 vs state

Science58%+22 vs state

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Schools Near Walnut Hills Community 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	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
Walnut Hills Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8195 East Costilla Boulevard	Centennial	80112	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3800	342	24	14.1	33.3%	144 (42.1%)	11 (3.2%)	97 (28.4%)	48 (14.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (12.0%)	84.6	134^th of 943 public elementary schools	85.8%		80.9	164^th of 950 public elementary schools	82.7%	30	49.0	75.8	71.1				63.6	66.7	76.5	57.8				66.2	58.1		$23,421
Dry Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7686 East Hinsdale Avenue	Englewood	80112	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3300	269	19	14.0	20.1%	169 (62.8%)	10 (3.7%)	37 (13.8%)	17 (6.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (12.6%)	82.9	152^nd of 943 public elementary schools	83.9%		88.6	88^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.7%	64	63.8	65.8	83.3				70.2	58.3	39.5	66.7				54.9	69.4		$21,881
Heritage Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6867 East Heritage Place South	Centennial	80111	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3500	302	23	13.1	23.5%	180 (59.6%)	4 (1.3%)	26 (8.6%)	60 (19.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (10.3%)	87.7	97^th of 943 public elementary schools	89.7%		83.8	131^st of 950 public elementary schools	86.2%	34	62.0	68.3	78.0				69.4	56.0	68.9	72.0				65.8	57.1		$23,278
Homestead Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7451 South Homestead Parkway	Centennial	80112	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3700	334	23	14.8	12.9%	256 (76.6%)	8 (2.4%)	30 (9.0%)	16 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.2%)	87.1	106^th of 943 public elementary schools	88.8%		92.3	50^th of 950 public elementary schools	94.7%	56	81.8	81.3	66.7				76.8	75.0	81.6	68.8				75.2	34.7		$20,511
Willow Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7855 South Willow Way	Centennial	80112	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3900	462	29	16.0	14.7%	294 (63.6%)	5 (1.1%)	57 (12.3%)	39 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (14.5%)	89.9	71^st of 943 public elementary schools	92.5%		84	129^th of 950 public elementary schools	86.4%	58	62.1	75.3	74.5				71.3	59.1	70.1	73.7				68.5	60.6		$20,222
Cherry Creek Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	6260 South Dayton Street	Greenwood Village	80111	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 779-8988	594	38	15.6	16.5%	279 (47.0%)	34 (5.7%)	42 (7.1%)	186 (31.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (8.8%)	97	14^th of 943 public elementary schools	98.5%		97	13^th of 950 public elementary schools	98.6%	1	85.3	82.0	93.5	78.0	90.5	81.3	86.2	93.3	86.0	70.1	68.0	81.0	100.0	81.8	68.8	70.4	$14,152
High Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6100 South Fulton Street	Greenwood Village	80111	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3600	462	31	14.8	29.7%	238 (51.5%)	24 (5.2%)	106 (22.9%)	41 (8.9%)	5 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	46 (10.0%)	58.2	372^nd of 943 public elementary schools	60.6%		59.3	369^th of 950 public elementary schools	61.2%	3	38.8	44.6	63.0				49.5	49.3	37.5	58.2				48.6	34.2		$20,137
Red Hawk Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16251 E Geddes Avenue	Centennial	80112	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-3800	518	34	15.3	57.7%	135 (26.1%)	82 (15.8%)	185 (35.7%)	35 (6.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	77 (14.9%)	32.4	595^th of 943 public elementary schools	36.9%		35.4	569^th of 950 public elementary schools	40.1%	26	35.4	33.9	51.7				40.1	32.3	27.9	27.8				29.4	18.5		$19,874
Lois Lenski Elementary School	Public	K-5	6350 South Fairfax Way	Centennial	80121	Arapahoe County	Littleton School District No. 6	No	No	No	No	(303) 347-4575	509	27	18.5	11.2%	401 (78.8%)	7 (1.4%)	52 (10.2%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (7.7%)	92.4	49^th of 943 public elementary schools	94.8%		91.2	61^st of 950 public elementary schools	93.6%	12	67.1	78.7	77.3				74.5	71.6	69.3	69.4				70.1	61.4		$16,760
Ford Elementary	Public	K-5	7300 South Clermont Drive	Centennial	80122	Arapahoe County	Littleton School District No. 6	No	No	No	No	(720) 360-2100	653	38	17.3	13.0%	524 (80.2%)	7 (1.1%)	64 (9.8%)	11 (1.7%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	40 (6.1%)	80.4	171^st of 943 public elementary schools	81.9%		83.5	134^th of 950 public elementary schools	85.9%	37	51.9	52.4	81.2				61.5	53.6	53.8	73.5				60.1	68.6		$17,320

Frequently Asked Questions about Walnut Hills Community Elementary School

How many students attend Walnut Hills Community Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 342 students attended Walnut Hills Community Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Walnut Hills Community Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Walnut Hills Community Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Campus Middle School
High : Cherry Creek High School

Is Walnut Hills Community Elementary School a good school?

Walnut Hills Community Elementary School ranks 134^th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Walnut Hills Community Elementary School?

Students at Walnut Hills Community Elementary School are 42% White, 28% Hispanic, 14% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Walnut Hills Community Elementary School in?

Cherry Creek School District No. 5

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresNewAug 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.