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Polaris Elementary School

Public Grades 1-5

1^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 100% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Polaris Elementary School is a public elementary school in Denver's School District No. 1, serving roughly 350 students in grades 1–5 at 410 Park Avenue West, and it has been ranked the #1 elementary school in Colorado for ten straight years. In the 2025–26 school year, Polaris achieved a 100th percentile rank out of 943 Colorado elementary schools with a 5-star rating—a distinction it has earned every year since 2015–16. The gap between Polaris and nearby schools is enormous: the closest school, Downtown Denver Expeditionary School, posted proficiency rates of just 34.7% in ELA and 30.5% in math, while French American School of Denver—the next-highest nearby performer—scored 57.3% and 54.3%, still roughly 37 points behind Polaris in both subjects.

Polaris's test scores are nothing short of extraordinary. In 2025–26, 94.9% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and 91.5% in math, compared to district averages of 42.5% and 35.0%—a gap of nearly 50 to 60 percentage points. Fifth-grade science proficiency hit 100%, a near-unheard-of result on a state assessment. These numbers are also stable: ELA proficiency has hovered between 94% and 95.9% for the past four years, so this is not a one-year fluke. The school also stands out for attendance: its chronic absenteeism rate of 6.9% in 2024–25 was more than five times lower than the district rate of 38.1%. Nearby schools struggle far more, with Whittier ECE-8 School at 50.6%, Cole Arts and Science Academy at 54.1%, and Wyatt Academy at 54.6%.

Interestingly, Polaris achieves these results with a student–teacher ratio of 19.6:1—the highest among all nearby schools, most of which operate between 9:1 and 16.5:1. This suggests the school's success comes from high expectations, effective instruction, and strong school culture rather than small class sizes. Polaris does serve a lower-poverty population than its immediate neighbors (17.4% free/reduced-price lunch versus 88–92% at many nearby schools), but that doesn't fully explain the results: French American School of Denver has a similar poverty rate (20%) yet scores far lower. For parents considering elementary options in central Denver, Polaris stands alone as a decade-long, top-ranked school with near-universal proficiency, remarkable attendance, and a model of high expectations that produces exceptional outcomes.

350

Students ?

19.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,759

Per pupil spending ?

17.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

410 Park Avenue West
Denver, CO 80205-3113

(720) 424-7860

District: School District No. 1

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.6%

Two or more races:

15.4%

Hispanic:

14.0%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 100th percentile in 2016 → 100th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (94% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Colorado elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in School District No. 1

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school94%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

1^st of 943

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

71^st of 115School 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	99.4	1 of 943	99.9%	★★★★★
2025	99.3	1 of 950	99.9%	★★★★★
2024	99.6	1 of 943	99.9%	★★★★★
2023	99.6	1 of 933	99.9%	★★★★★
2022	99.7	1 of 921	99.9%	★★★★★
2021	99.5	1 of 710	99.9%	★★★★★
2019	99.7	1 of 965	99.9%	★★★★★
2018	99.8	1 of 917	99.9%	★★★★★
2017	99.8	1 of 929	99.9%	★★★★★
2016	99.8	1 of 914	99.9%	★★★★★
2015	99.9	1 of 938	99.9%	★★★★★
2014	97.4	1 of 962	99.9%	★★★★★
2013	96.7	3 of 954	99.7%	★★★★★
2012	96.6	3 of 935	99.7%	★★★★★
2011	95.9	4 of 935	99.6%	★★★★★
2010	95.5	4 of 925	99.6%	★★★★★
2009	94.7	7 of 872	99.2%	★★★★★
2008	95.4	4 of 849	99.5%	★★★★★
2007	96.0	4 of 852	99.5%	★★★★★
2006	95.3	4 of 829	99.5%	★★★★★
2005	93.1	11 of 823	98.7%	★★★★★
2004	93.7	15 of 808	98.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	98.9	1 of 692	99.9%	★★★★★
2025	98.4	3 of 694	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	99.0	1 of 684	99.9%	★★★★★
2023	99.1	1 of 642	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.1	1 of 595	99.8%	★★★★★
2021	98.8	1 of 351	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	99.4	1 of 758	99.9%	★★★★★
2018	99.2	1 of 690	99.9%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	73 of 119	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	98.9	2 of 694	99.7%	★★★★★
2025	99.1	2 of 700	99.7%	★★★★★
2024	99.3	1 of 683	99.9%	★★★★★
2023	99.3	1 of 649	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.5	1 of 594	99.8%	★★★★★
2021	98.7	2 of 352	99.4%	★★★★★
2019	99.3	1 of 764	99.9%	★★★★★
2018	99.8	1 of 693	99.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	98.5	1 of 546	99.8%	★★★★★
2025	98.1	2 of 551	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	98.9	2 of 539	99.6%	★★★★★
2023	99.1	1 of 525	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.0	1 of 454	99.8%	★★★★★
2021	98.5	1 of 288	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	99.1	1 of 596	99.8%	★★★★★
2018	99.5	1 of 337	99.7%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2026)100th percentile~ school

White (2026)100th percentile~ school

Male (2026)100th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2025)39th percentile-61 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Science100%+64 vs state

English Language Arts95%+50 vs state

Math92%+54 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
Sunday, February 21, 2021

Outstanding curriculum and learning environment for HGT students. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

We have two children that have been at Polaris since kindergarten. Our older daughter is now in 5th grade, reflecting over the years we give Polaris 5 stars plus. It has given our daughters an excellent environment to become their best academically. Originally, I wanted my children to attend Polaris because I saw such camaraderie between students and teachers; I noticed that it was an environment that fostered accountability in its students. Now I would add that it fosters academic excellence in its students. Close Quote

Schools Near Polaris 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 7th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Polaris Elementary School	Public	1-5	410 Park Avenue West	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-7860	350	18	19.6	17.4%	198 (56.6%)	15 (4.3%)	49 (14.0%)	34 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (15.4%)	99.4	1^st of 943 public elementary schools	99.9%		99.3	1^st of 950 public elementary schools	99.9%		92.4	92.5	100.0				94.9	89.9	88.8	96.1		91.5	100.0	$16,759
Downtown Denver Expeditionary School	Public, Charter	K-5	1860 Lincoln St	Denver	80203	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 424-2350	263	17	15.2	34.2%	134 (51.0%)	19 (7.2%)	78 (29.7%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	26 (9.9%)	34.5	577^th of 943 public elementary schools	38.8%		48.6	451^st of 950 public elementary schools	52.5%	126	15.4	40.6	46.8				34.7	20.5	25.0	42.6		30.5	34.0	$16,918
University Prep - Arapahoe St.	Public, Charter	K-5	2409 Arapahoe Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-0463	313	27	11.7	89.8%	15 (4.8%)	155 (49.5%)	124 (39.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	12 (3.8%)	17.4	779^th of 943 public elementary schools	17.4%		13.8	822^nd of 950 public elementary schools	13.5%	43	19.0	18.6	16.2				18.1	23.8	33.9	18.9		26.8		$18,826
Whittier Ece-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	2480 Downing Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-3040	242	17	14.2	88.4%	13 (5.4%)	122 (50.4%)	72 (29.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	3 (1.2%)	29 (12.0%)	9.8	886^th of 943 public elementary schools	6.0%		8.3	915^th of 950 public elementary schools	3.7%	29	19.2	13.0	19.0	13.0	38.9	31.3	21.3			19.0	15.8	10.2		$21,737
Cole Arts and Science Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 E 33rd Ave	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9120	275	21	13.0	83.6%	29 (10.5%)	41 (14.9%)	189 (68.7%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.3%)								(n/a)							7.6	12.9				6.8		$23,197
French American School of Denver	Public, Charter	K-5	2350 N. Gaylord Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 506-4589	230	18	12.7	20.0%	163 (70.9%)	19 (8.3%)	22 (9.6%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.6%)	70.1	264^th of 943 public elementary schools	72.0%		81.4	159^th of 950 public elementary schools	83.3%	105	25.0	71.8	83.3				57.3	35.3	59.0	78.9		54.3	78.9	$11,986
Wyatt Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	3620 Franklin Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-5515	240	18	13.6	81.3%	22 (9.2%)	43 (17.9%)	166 (69.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.9%)	20.1	738^th of 943 public elementary schools	21.7%		21.8	714^th of 950 public elementary schools	24.8%	24	12.1	30.6	31.1				25.4	27.3	11.1	33.3		24.6		$15,338
Dora Moore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	846 Corona Street	Denver	80218	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-5300	349	21	16.5	65.3%	108 (30.9%)	55 (15.8%)	135 (38.7%)	4 (1.1%)	4 (1.1%)	4 (1.1%)	38 (10.9%)	21	726^th of 943 public elementary schools	23.0%		21	724^th of 950 public elementary schools	23.8%	2	30.8	19.4	23.5				24.8	25.6	22.2	20.0		22.7	31.4	$18,380
Columbine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2540 East 29th Ave	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-8510	346	25	14.0	42.2%	157 (45.4%)	62 (17.9%)	85 (24.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	33 (9.5%)	37.5	545^th of 943 public elementary schools	42.2%		48.2	459^th of 950 public elementary schools	51.7%	86	40.0	51.1	37.8				43.4	40.0	33.3	16.7		30.6	22.2	$19,233
Center for Talent Development at Greenlee	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 Lipan Street	Denver	80204	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-6800	244	18	13.2	88.1%	23 (9.4%)	71 (29.1%)	128 (52.5%)	6 (2.5%)	3 (1.2%)	4 (1.6%)	9 (3.7%)	19.9	739^th of 943 public elementary schools	21.6%		13.6	826^th of 950 public elementary schools	13.1%	87	28.2	25.0	10.7				22.5	33.3				18.0		$21,744

Frequently Asked Questions about Polaris Elementary School

Is Polaris Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Polaris Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 1^st of 943 Colorado elementary schools.

What district is Polaris Elementary School in?

School District No. 1

How many students attend Polaris Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 350 students attended Polaris Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Polaris Elementary School?

Students at Polaris Elementary School are 57% White, 15% Two or more races, 14% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 4% African American.

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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.