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Samuels Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

724^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Samuels Elementary School is a PK–5 elementary school in Denver, CO, serving 532 students within School District No. 1, where 86.5% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The school currently holds a 1-star state rating, ranking 723rd out of 943 Colorado elementary schools (23rd percentile) — a bottom-quartile pattern the school has seen for over a decade.

Academically, Samuels trails district and state averages in every subject. ELA proficiency is 34.1% versus 42.5% for the district and 44.7% for the state; math is 21.9% versus 35.0% district and 37.3% state; and science is 13.5% versus 33.2% district and 36.1% state. Fourth-grade math is a particular concern at 11.9% proficient — nearly 28 points below the state average. That said, Samuels outperforms nearby Joe Shoemaker School, which has lower poverty but far lower scores (16.8% ELA, 7.3% math). Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside, with nearly identical poverty (85.9%), posts 45.5% ELA and 52.4% math proficiency — a reminder that high poverty alone doesn't dictate results.

Chronic absenteeism is a serious challenge at 44.1%, well above state (28.4%) and district (38.1%) rates, and the student-teacher ratio has risen to 18.3, among the highest in the area. There are bright spots: low-income students at Samuels perform near the state median (50th percentile) among comparable populations, and Hispanic student outcomes have improved from the 7th to 21st percentile statewide in recent years. ELA proficiency has also climbed since 2023–24, though math remains flat and science dropped sharply. For parents, Samuels is a school facing significant obstacles — high poverty, high absenteeism, and staffing constraints — but with real signs of progress to build on.

532

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,906

Per pupil spending ?

86.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

3985 South Vincennes Court
Denver, CO 80237-1748

(720) 424-4450

District: School District No. 1

Students who attend Samuels Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hamilton Middle School
High:	Thomas Jefferson High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.9%

African American:

21.6%

White:

13.3%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Samuels Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 16th percentile in 2012 → 23rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2012

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (24% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (41% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

724^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 29% (2016) to bottom 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

52^nd 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	21.4	724 of 946	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.8	647 of 950	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.0	751 of 965	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.8	799 of 917	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.8	658 of 929	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.4	648 of 914	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	22.7	720 of 938	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	30.2	698 of 962	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.8	710 of 954	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	17.5	786 of 935	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	22.9	743 of 935	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	13.7	813 of 925	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.3	647 of 872	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	29.0	642 of 849	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	19.2	708 of 852	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	24.4	659 of 829	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	26.8	636 of 823	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	33.4	572 of 808	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	15.5	579 of 694	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.7	630 of 758	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.1	608 of 690	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	199 of 251	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.2	195 of 247	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.7	252 of 270	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	47.1	167 of 337	50.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	17.6	569 of 700	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.8	650 of 764	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	611 of 693	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	42.8	340 of 596	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.4	220 of 337	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)50th percentile+19 vs school

White (2019)43rd percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2026)21st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile-13 vs school

Female (2025)17th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts34%-11 vs state

Math22%-15 vs state

Science14%-23 vs state

2.3

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, December 21, 2017

Worst school I've ever sent my children too. The staff will make you a 102 promises, only to keep one. If your child is on an IEP or you have a special needs student, expect for them to be placed in a room and given sheets to color everyday while the school collects the tax credit. They treat these children horribly and the Pricipals there clearly get paid to much for what they actually do which is nothing!! Close Quote

by a teacher
Monday, October 24, 2016

I taught at Samuels. Every year, I had 30 or more students in my classroom. Close Quote

Schools Near Samuels 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Samuels Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3985 South Vincennes Court	Denver	80237	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-4450	532	29	18.3	86.5%	71 (13.3%)	115 (21.6%)	292 (54.9%)	27 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	22 (4.1%)	21.4	724^th of 946 public elementary schools	23.5%		26.8	647^th of 950 public elementary schools	31.9%	77	33.3	38.5	30.8	34.1	29.6	11.9	26.3	21.9	13.5	$18,906
Holm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3185 South Willow Court	Denver	80231	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-6350	510	33	15.4	69.8%	104 (20.4%)	54 (10.6%)	308 (60.4%)	22 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.9%)	31.1	610^th of 946 public elementary schools	35.5%		37	556^th of 950 public elementary schools	41.5%	54	27.5	37.0	42.9	37.2	14.7	32.9	30.0	26.0	32.9	$18,962
Southmoor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3755 South Magnolia Way	Denver	80237	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-3930	431	25	17.3	36.9%	250 (58.0%)	51 (11.8%)	86 (20.0%)	13 (3.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.5%)	65.2	305^th of 946 public elementary schools	67.8%		64.9	318^th of 950 public elementary schools	66.5%	13	40.3	57.9	56.9	51.6	43.1	56.6	43.1	47.9	54.8	$15,982
Belleview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4851 South Dayton Street	Greenwood Village	80111	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3100	577	36	15.8	29.6%	243 (42.1%)	45 (7.8%)	80 (13.9%)	140 (24.3%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	64 (11.1%)	77.6	198^th of 946 public elementary schools	79.1%		79.7	178^th of 950 public elementary schools	81.3%	20	48.4	57.3	60.8	55.6	61.7	59.6	59.2	60.1	55.4	$19,082
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
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
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5550 South Holly Street	Greenwood Village	80111	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-3400	355	26	13.7	16.1%	280 (78.9%)	5 (1.4%)	37 (10.4%)	8 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (6.5%)	88.2	92^nd of 946 public elementary schools	90.3%		82.9	144^th of 950 public elementary schools	84.8%	52	72.9	63.3	80.6	73.4	64.6	45.1	84.5	67.1	66.2	$21,168
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
Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	7808 Cherry Creek South Dr #3	Denver	80231	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 863-8920	637	45	14.0	85.9%	67 (10.5%)	302 (47.4%)	234 (36.7%)	12 (1.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.7%)	63.1	325^th of 946 public elementary schools	65.6%		64	326^th of 950 public elementary schools	65.7%	1	46.9	38.4	50.6	45.5	63.1	37.3	57.0	52.4	50.6	$13,302
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Samuels Elementary School

Is Samuels Elementary School a good school?

Samuels Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.5% of Colorado elementary schools.

How many students attend Samuels Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 532 students attended Samuels Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Samuels Elementary School?

Students at Samuels Elementary School are 55% Hispanic, 22% African American, 13% White, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Samuels Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Hamilton Middle School
High : Thomas Jefferson High School

What district is Samuels Elementary School in?

School District No. 1

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

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

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.