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Ellis Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

802^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Ellis Elementary School in Denver, CO, serves 467 students in grades PK-5 in the southeast part of the city and is part of School District No. 1 (Denver Public Schools). The school serves one of the highest-poverty populations in the area, with 85.2% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Ellis currently holds a 1-star state rating, ranking in the 15th percentile (799th of 943 Colorado elementary schools) for the 2025-26 school year.

Academically, Ellis Elementary School has proficiency rates well below district and state averages: 25.6% of students are proficient in ELA and just 16.7% in math, compared with 44.7% and 37.3% statewide. It also lags many nearby schools, such as Creativity Challenge Community (98th percentile) and Cory Elementary School (91st percentile). Yet there are bright spots: 3rd graders score above district and state averages in ELA (43.5%), but those gains fade by 5th grade, when only 13% are proficient. Math is weak at every grade — 5th-grade math proficiency is just 10.9%, less than a third of the state rate. Ellis’s challenges affect all students, not just one group; it ranks in the bottom 5% of Colorado elementary schools for both female and male students. Comparisons to demographically similar schools show Ellis performing roughly in line with expectations — Place Bridge Academy has nearly the same poverty rate but slightly lower proficiency.

The school’s biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism: 49.6% of students are chronically absent, nearly double the state rate of 28.4%, and far higher than nearby University Park Elementary School (13.9%). The student-teacher ratio has also climbed to 18.1, up from 13.4 two years ago. On a positive note, Ellis has made genuine gains over the past two years — ELA proficiency has risen from 18.6% to 25.6%, and chronic absenteeism dropped from 59% to 49.6%. The school’s trajectory is improving, but sustaining momentum will require continuing to reduce absenteeism and building a much stronger math pipeline from the earliest grades.

467

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,945

Per pupil spending ?

85.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1651 South Dahlia Street
Denver, CO 80222-3817

(720) 424-7700

District: School District No. 1

Students who attend Ellis Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Merrill Middle School
High:	Thomas Jefferson High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

71.5%

White:

17.1%

African American:

6.6%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2015 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (20% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (50% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

802^nd of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 19% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

68^th of 99Elementary Schools in the School District No. 1

69^th of 114School District No. 1 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	15.9	802 of 946	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.8	886 of 950	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.5	905 of 943	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	734 of 933	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.6	532 of 921	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	7.7	936 of 965	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.3	739 of 917	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.6	629 of 929	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	19.0	742 of 914	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	30.2	624 of 938	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	25.6	735 of 962	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.7	790 of 954	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	17.8	783 of 935	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.8	799 of 935	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	11.4	830 of 925	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	8.1	810 of 872	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	7.1	803 of 849	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.7	783 of 852	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	7.5	772 of 829	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	14.4	719 of 823	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	23.7	649 of 808	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	7.1	674 of 694	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	663 of 700	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)5th percentile~ school

Female (2025)3rd percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts26%-19 vs state

Math17%-21 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 27, 2020

Ellis Elementary is a terrific school dedicated to it's students, teachers, families and community. Overall, the teachers are truly what makes the difference and sets this school apart. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, June 22, 2017

My daughter has had a great experience at Ellis. Overall her teachers have been excellent there and I really like the new principal. They have a lot of events to welcome in families and we feel like part of a really unique and diverse community. She has gotten to know kids from all different backgrounds, which is very important to me. Close Quote

Schools Near Ellis 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
Ellis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1651 South Dahlia Street	Denver	80222	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-7700	467	26	18.1	85.2%	80 (17.1%)	31 (6.6%)	334 (71.5%)	12 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	15.9	802^nd of 946 public elementary schools	15.2%		9.8	886^th of 950 public elementary schools	6.7%	84	43.5	35.3	13.0				25.6	17.5	20.8	10.9				16.7	709.0		$18,945
Highline Academy Southeast	Public, Charter	K-8	2170 South Dahlia Street	Denver	80222	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 759-7808	591	46	12.8	53.3%	229 (38.7%)	147 (24.9%)	168 (28.4%)	20 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.2%)	63.3	322^nd of 946 public elementary schools	66.0%		54.8	406^th of 950 public elementary schools	57.3%	84	41.8	62.7	62.3	51.8	50.6	52.9	53.8	38.2	47.8	50.0	34.1	31.2	45.6	40.6	44.3	36.8	$15,050
Creativity Challenge Community	Public	K-5	1551 S. Monroe St	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-0630	306	17	17.6	14.4%	229 (74.8%)	7 (2.3%)	39 (12.7%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (8.2%)	96.3	19^th of 946 public elementary schools	98.0%		92	52^nd of 950 public elementary schools	94.5%	33	73.9	75.9	92.9				80.3	76.6	74.1	82.9				77.5	81.0		$16,913
Cory Elementary School	Public	1-5	1550 South Steele Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-8380	407	24	16.8	23.1%	286 (70.3%)	18 (4.4%)	43 (10.6%)	14 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (10.8%)	88.5	86^th of 946 public elementary schools	90.9%		91.5	56^th of 950 public elementary schools	94.1%	30	59.3	80.3	78.0				72.4	59.8	72.4	62.2				64.6	58.0		$16,807
McMeen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 South Holly Street	Denver	80246	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-5520	706	38	18.3	63.3%	150 (21.2%)	108 (15.3%)	393 (55.7%)	22 (3.1%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.1%)	23	696^th of 946 public elementary schools	26.4%		20.8	730^th of 950 public elementary schools	23.2%	34	27.4	39.7	36.0				34.1	24.6	22.7	20.7				22.9	23.0		$16,986
University Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	2300 South St Paul Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-3410	413	27	15.4	28.6%	269 (65.1%)	24 (5.8%)	71 (17.2%)	22 (5.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.8%)	86.1	117^th of 946 public elementary schools	87.6%		89.3	80^th of 950 public elementary schools	91.6%	37	53.6	71.0	77.1				65.9	56.5	60.3	77.6				63.5	77.1		$17,805
Place Bridge Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	7125 Cherry Creek Drive North	Denver	80224	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0960	824	63	13.0	85.2%	65 (7.9%)	193 (23.4%)	467 (56.7%)	77 (9.3%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	15 (1.8%)	9	901^st of 946 public elementary schools	4.8%		11.3	866^th of 950 public elementary schools	8.8%	35	8.6	14.3	16.4	9.6	13.3	17.9	13.7	20.8	14.1	19.4	7.1	8.3	13.4	13.4	9.1	8.8	$21,474
Stephen Knight Center for Early Education	Public	PK-K	3245 East Exposition Avenue	Denver	80209	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-6500	276	22	12.7	26.1%	152 (55.1%)	18 (6.5%)	53 (19.2%)	22 (8.0%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	27 (9.8%)								(n/a)																	$21,365
Bradley International School	Public	PK, KG-5	3051 South Elm Street	Denver	80222	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-9468	574	34	16.8	42.2%	275 (47.9%)	64 (11.1%)	153 (26.7%)	23 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.9%)	68.4	280^th of 946 public elementary schools	70.4%		62.8	336^th of 950 public elementary schools	64.6%	56	54.5	49.3	55.9				53.0	57.4	41.3	55.7				51.0	51.7		$17,469
Holly Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6161 East Cornell Avenue	Denver	80222	Denver County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 747-2500	633	42	15.2	62.4%	174 (27.5%)	71 (11.2%)	323 (51.0%)	15 (2.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (7.3%)	17	790^th of 946 public elementary schools	16.5%		22.1	710^th of 950 public elementary schools	25.3%	80	28.2	26.7	22.3				25.7	25.6	18.2	23.4				22.4	13.8		$20,165

Frequently Asked Questions about Ellis Elementary School

Is Ellis Elementary School a good school?

Ellis Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.2% of Colorado elementary schools.

How many students attend Ellis Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 467 students attended Ellis Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Ellis Elementary School?

Students at Ellis Elementary School are 72% Hispanic, 17% White, 7% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Ellis Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Merrill Middle School
High : Thomas Jefferson High School

What district is Ellis Elementary School in?

School District No. 1

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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.