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Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Q: Is Downtown Denver Expeditionary School a good school?

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School ranks 577 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-5

577^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (DDES) is a K-5 elementary school in downtown Denver serving 263 students as part of School District No. 1, a district that ranks in the lower-middle tier of Colorado. The school currently holds a 2-star state rating and ranks 577th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools, placing it in the 39th percentile — a notable drop from recent years. In 2024-2025, the school ranked 451st (53rd percentile), and as recently as 2017-2018 it ranked 304th (67th percentile). The latest year's decline is the sharpest in its recent history, moving DDES from solidly above-average to statistically below-average.

Academically, DDES test scores now lag district and state averages. In 2025-2026, 34.7% of students were proficient in ELA (compared to 42.5% in the district and 44.7% statewide), and 30.5% were proficient in math (compared to 35.0% and 37.3%, respectively). This marks a sharp reversal from 2024-2025, when math proficiency stood at 46.5%. A striking grade-level pattern emerges: 5th graders outperform the district in both subjects, but 3rd graders trail far behind, with just 15.4% ELA proficiency versus the district's 41.6%. The school does have genuine strengths — its 25.0% chronic absenteeism rate is better than both the district (38.1%) and state (28.4%), and its 34.2% free/reduced-price lunch rate is far lower than many nearby schools.

Those demographics make the academic results particularly puzzling. Nearby schools with higher poverty rates, such as Columbine Elementary School (42.2% free/reduced-price lunch) and Denver Center for International Studies at Fairmont (48.8%), outperform DDES in ELA. Just 0.35 miles away, Polaris Elementary School is ranked #1 in the state with 94.9% ELA and 91.5% math proficiency, though it serves a very different student population. DDES's strengths — good attendance, a relatively low poverty rate, and a 5th grade cohort that beats district averages — suggest the foundation is there. If the school can stabilize early-grade results, it has a real path to reversing its recent slide.

263

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,918

Per pupil spending ?

34.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1860 Lincoln St
Denver, CO 80203

(720) 424-2350

District: School District No. 1

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.0%

Hispanic:

29.7%

Two or more races:

9.9%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Downtown Denver Expeditionary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2016 → 39th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (33% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

577^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

44^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	34.6	577 of 946	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.6	451 of 950	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	471 of 943	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.4	462 of 933	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.2	421 of 921	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.4	371 of 965	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	304 of 917	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.7	316 of 929	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.1	413 of 914	54.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	46.7	342 of 684	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.8	336 of 758	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	309 of 690	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	48.7	119 of 270	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	27.0	263 of 322	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	67.5	65 of 308	78.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	409 of 697	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.8	418 of 683	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.0	319 of 764	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.9	249 of 693	64.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	21.6	455 of 547	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.3	350 of 539	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.2	319 of 525	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.4	251 of 454	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.5	138 of 596	76.8%	★★★★☆
2018	70.7	87 of 337	74.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2019)56th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2024)50th percentile~ school

Male (2026)41st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)18th percentile-21 vs school

White (2026)17th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts35%-10 vs state

Science34%~ state avg

Math30%-7 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

We could not be more thrilled with our experience at DDES. The level of care, support, and love that is poured into the kids is more than we could ask for. The emphasis on growth-oriented skills and mindsets, the positive environment, teaching the kids to support each other, the adventures and fieldwork, the encouragement to tackle and work through challenges... all of it has resulted in our 1st grader loving school and the friends she’s making, and feeling proud of herself for working hard and learning new things. We are so happy and grateful we landed at DDES! Close Quote

Schools Near Downtown Denver Expeditionary 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
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%)	34.6	577^th of 946 public elementary schools	39.0%		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
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 946 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
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%)	17.5	782^nd of 946 public elementary schools	17.3%		13.8	822^nd of 950 public elementary schools	13.5%	40	19.0	18.6	16.2				18.1	23.8	33.9	18.9				26.8	696.0		$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%)	9.9	889^th of 946 public elementary schools	6.0%		8.3	915^th of 950 public elementary schools	3.7%	26	19.2	13.0	19.0	13.0	38.9	31.3	21.3	710.0	714.0	19.0	708.0	15.8	710.0	10.2	710.0	722.0	$21,737
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	742^nd of 946 public elementary schools	21.6%		13.6	826^th of 950 public elementary schools	13.1%	84	28.2	25.0	10.7				22.5	33.3	719.0	714.0				18.0	716.0		$21,744
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	728^th of 946 public elementary schools	23.0%		21	724^th of 950 public elementary schools	23.8%	4	30.8	19.4	23.5				24.8	25.6	22.2	20.0				22.7	31.4		$18,380
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)	695.0	696.0	715.0				7.6	12.9	705.0	707.0				6.8	694.0		$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	265^th of 946 public elementary schools	72.0%		81.4	159^th of 950 public elementary schools	83.3%	106	25.0	71.8	83.3				57.3	35.3	59.0	78.9				54.3	78.9		$11,986
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%)	37.6	545^th of 946 public elementary schools	42.4%		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
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	741^st of 946 public elementary schools	21.7%		21.8	714^th of 950 public elementary schools	24.8%	27	12.1	30.6	31.1				25.4	27.3	11.1	33.3				24.6	714.0		$15,338

Frequently Asked Questions about Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Is Downtown Denver Expeditionary School a good school?

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School ranks 577^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Downtown Denver Expeditionary School?

Students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School are 51% White, 30% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 7% African American, 2% Asian.

What district is Downtown Denver Expeditionary School in?

School District No. 1

How many students attend Downtown Denver Expeditionary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 263 students attended Downtown Denver Expeditionary School.

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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.