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Buffalo Trail Elementary School

Q: Is Buffalo Trail Elementary School a good school?

Buffalo Trail Elementary School ranks 429 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

429^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Buffalo Trail Elementary School is a PK–6 elementary school in Aurora, CO, serving 632 students as part of the Cherry Creek School District No. 5, one of Colorado's highest-ranked districts. In 2025–2026, the school earned a 3-star rating and ranked 429th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools (55th percentile) — a solid rebound from two consecutive 2-star years. The school has also seen a significant shift in its student population, with 38.1% of students now qualifying for free/reduced lunch, up from 26.1% just two years earlier.

Academically, Buffalo Trail sits in the middle of its local cluster. Its ELA proficiency (45.6%) and math proficiency (44.2%) are close to district averages, but science is a clear weak spot: only 25.7% of 5th graders scored proficient, well below the district's 38.3% and one of the lowest results among nearby schools. The school's grade-level patterns tell a more nuanced story — 3rd-grade math (53.8%) is actually above the district average, but by 5th grade, math and ELA scores drop well below district levels. Compared with Antelope Ridge Elementary School, a nearby school with nearly identical demographics, Buffalo Trail trails in both ELA (45.6% vs. 50.4%) and math (44.2% vs. 49.8%). Higher-scoring schools like Black Forest Hills Elementary School post much stronger results, though with a far lower share of economically disadvantaged students.

One of Buffalo Trail's brightest spots is attendance: its chronic absenteeism rate of 15.9% is well below the district (25.3%) and state (28.4%) averages. The school is also showing real progress with its economically disadvantaged students, who jumped from the 15th percentile statewide to the 54th percentile over two years. Families should be aware, however, that class sizes are the largest in the cluster, with a student-teacher ratio of 16.8 compared with the nearby-school average of about 15.3. Overall, Buffalo Trail is a recovering middle performer with genuine strengths in early math and attendance, but with clear room to grow in upper-grade math and science.

632

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,005

Per pupil spending ?

38.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

24300 East Progress Drive
Aurora, CO 80016-5930

(720) 886-4000

District: Cherry Creek School District No. 5

Students who attend Buffalo Trail Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Fox Ridge Middle School
High:	Cherokee Trail High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.8%

Hispanic:

23.6%

African American:

13.8%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Buffalo Trail Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2016 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Colorado median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2016

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

!Science scores 10 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg46%

Colorado avg41%

429^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

27^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	50.8	429 of 946	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.2	517 of 950	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	522 of 943	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.7	457 of 933	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.1	413 of 921	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.1	281 of 710	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.2	386 of 965	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.1	332 of 917	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	71.6	237 of 929	74.5%	★★★★☆
2016	73.6	216 of 914	76.4%	★★★★☆
2015	81.1	152 of 938	83.8%	★★★★☆
2014	71.3	259 of 962	73.1%	★★★★☆
2013	71.1	268 of 954	71.9%	★★★★☆
2012	56.5	442 of 935	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.4	484 of 935	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	64.9	347 of 925	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	33.4	437 of 695	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.3	396 of 694	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.6	433 of 684	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.1	377 of 642	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.1	318 of 595	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.3	169 of 351	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.6	337 of 758	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	322 of 690	53.3%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	81.4	1 of 110	99.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	41.8	136 of 251	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	65.9	56 of 247	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	36.6	148 of 242	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.5	66 of 197	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.1	76 of 270	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	83.8	13 of 172	92.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	148 of 322	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.6	224 of 337	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.5	310 of 365	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.7	145 of 332	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.7	40 of 308	87.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	336 of 697	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	27.1	485 of 700	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.7	486 of 683	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.0	399 of 649	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.0	345 of 594	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.3	234 of 352	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.3	354 of 764	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.8	274 of 693	60.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	38.0	353 of 547	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.4	422 of 551	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	456 of 539	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	413 of 525	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.5	348 of 454	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	53.0	157 of 288	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.7	329 of 596	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.7	200 of 337	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2019)99th percentile+39 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile~ school

Male (2026)52nd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)46th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2026)37th percentile-18 vs school

White (2026)35th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts46%~ state avg

Math44%+7 vs state

Science26%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buffalo Trail 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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Buffalo Trail Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	24300 East Progress Drive	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-4000	632	38	16.8	38.1%	258 (40.8%)	87 (13.8%)	149 (23.6%)	43 (6.8%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.9%)	87 (13.8%)	50.8	429^th of 946 public elementary schools	54.7%		42.2	517^th of 950 public elementary schools	45.6%	88	43.8	49.5	42.9	45.6	53.8	47.3	30.8	44.2	25.7	$18,005
Antelope Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5455 South Tempe Street	Aurora	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-3300	549	33	16.4	39.7%	287 (52.3%)	57 (10.4%)	125 (22.8%)	28 (5.1%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.5%)	47 (8.6%)	58.8	369^th of 946 public elementary schools	61.0%		60.7	352^nd of 950 public elementary schools	62.9%	17	47.4	50.5	53.5	50.4	61.5	44.0	44.4	49.8	25.0	$18,775
Canyon Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6070 South Versailles Parkway	Aurora	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-3600	477	32	14.8	38.8%	215 (45.1%)	44 (9.2%)	125 (26.2%)	37 (7.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (10.9%)	38.4	533^rd of 946 public elementary schools	43.7%		40	525^th of 950 public elementary schools	44.7%	8	47.1	43.1	42.9	44.4	33.3	26.2	27.5	29.1	30.3	$21,024
Mountain Vista Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	22200 East Radcliff Parkway	Centennial	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-2700	568	38	14.7	28.7%	253 (44.5%)	75 (13.2%)	103 (18.1%)	74 (13.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (10.7%)	58.9	367^th of 946 public elementary schools	61.2%		58.1	379^th of 950 public elementary schools	60.1%	12	51.2	61.8	48.4	53.1	44.8	47.1	40.4	43.8	37.2	$20,186
Pine Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6525 S. Wheatlands Parkway	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-8800	617	40	15.4	21.4%	333 (54.0%)	52 (8.4%)	103 (16.7%)	54 (8.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (11.7%)	63.1	326^th of 946 public elementary schools	65.5%		71.1	263^rd of 950 public elementary schools	72.3%	63	46.7	57.8	46.6	50.2	54.3	64.0	44.2	54.3	31.0	$18,322
Coyote Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	24605 E Davies Way	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-3900	478	33	14.4	23.4%	257 (53.8%)	36 (7.5%)	92 (19.2%)	36 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (11.7%)	59.5	363^rd of 946 public elementary schools	61.6%		56	398^th of 950 public elementary schools	58.1%	35	50.7	61.8	56.0	56.2	53.3	36.8	44.0	44.7	26.7	$18,632
Timberline Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5500 South Killarney Street	Centennial	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-3200	478	32	14.9	33.1%	241 (50.4%)	51 (10.7%)	90 (18.8%)	27 (5.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (13.8%)	51.2	427^th of 946 public elementary schools	54.9%		50.2	440^th of 950 public elementary schools	53.7%	13	43.4	54.8	47.5	48.6	45.3	38.4	39.0	41.1	27.1	$20,258
Black Forest Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	25233 E. Glasgow Dr	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-8900	500	33	15.0	18.0%	281 (56.2%)	40 (8.0%)	63 (12.6%)	49 (9.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (13.2%)	89.3	77^th of 946 public elementary schools	91.9%		86.1	116^th of 950 public elementary schools	87.8%	39	54.1	80.0	73.8	70.4	66.1	68.9	68.8	68.1	60.3	$19,136
Aspen Crossing Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4655 S Himalaya Street	Centennial	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-3700	569	35	16.2	35.1%	194 (34.1%)	87 (15.3%)	110 (19.3%)	86 (15.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (15.6%)	57	389^th of 946 public elementary schools	58.9%		56.3	397^th of 950 public elementary schools	58.2%	8	43.0	48.3	57.0	49.8	55.0	42.0	41.1	45.7	33.7	$18,582
Dakota Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3950 South Kirk Way	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-3000	571	39	14.6	39.4%	256 (44.8%)	87 (15.2%)	129 (22.6%)	42 (7.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (9.8%)	42.2	497^th of 946 public elementary schools	47.5%		49.7	444^th of 950 public elementary schools	53.3%	53	32.5	42.7	51.9	42.3	40.5	27.5	32.4	33.2	39.7	$19,380

Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Trail Elementary School

Is Buffalo Trail Elementary School a good school?

Buffalo Trail Elementary School ranks 429^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Buffalo Trail Elementary School?

Students at Buffalo Trail Elementary School are 41% White, 24% Hispanic, 14% African American, 14% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Buffalo Trail Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Buffalo Trail Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fox Ridge Middle School
High : Cherokee Trail High School

How many students attend Buffalo Trail Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 632 students attended Buffalo Trail Elementary School.

What district is Buffalo Trail 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 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.