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Willow Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

73^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Willow Elementary School is a PK–5 public elementary school in Denver's Central Park/Stapleton area, serving 596 students within School District No. 1. While the district as a whole ranks in the bottom half of Colorado districts, Willow is a clear standout: it ranked #73 out of 943 Colorado elementary schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the 92nd percentile with a 5-star rating — its best showing in nearly a decade.

Willow's academic proficiency is roughly 30 points above district and state averages. On the 2025–2026 CMAS assessments, 72.6% of students were proficient in English Language Arts, 69.6% in math, and 66.7% in 5th grade science, versus district averages of 42.5%, 35.0%, and 33.2%. Among nearby options, only Westerly Creek Elementary outranks Willow, while Swigert International School is comparable in reading but behind in math and science, and Inspire Elementary trails by 15–20 points. The gap with some nearby schools is dramatic: Willow's math proficiency is more than seven times that of Rose Hill Elementary School, just 1.3 miles away.

Scores are also rising steadily, with ELA proficiency up 15 points over three years, math up nearly 18, and science up nearly 20. Grade-level growth is strong, as 5th graders hit 86.2% in ELA and 78.2% in math — nearly double the district average. Subgroup outcomes are exceptional: Hispanic students rank #14 of 249 statewide, low-socioeconomic-status students #23 of 319, and White students #15 of 546. Chronic absenteeism of 19.5% is far better than the district's 38.1% and most nearby low-performing schools, though it ticked up slightly year-over-year. The only relative soft spot is gifted programming, which ranks in the low-to-mid 60th percentile — still above average in an otherwise outstanding profile.

596

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,588

Per pupil spending ?

29%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8499 E Stoll Place
Denver, CO 80238-3262

(720) 424-2100

District: School District No. 1

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.3%

Hispanic:

26.3%

Two or more races:

10.7%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 83rd percentile in 2017 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (70% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of Colorado elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2017

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school70%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

73^rd of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 10 pts since 2017

From top 17% (2017) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^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	89.9	73 of 946	92.3%	★★★★★
2025	83.3	135 of 950	85.8%	★★★★☆
2024	74.1	220 of 943	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.9	167 of 933	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	84.7	111 of 921	87.9%	★★★★☆
2021	85.9	91 of 710	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	79.8	170 of 965	82.4%	★★★★☆
2018	78.2	183 of 917	80.0%	★★★★☆
2017	79.8	161 of 929	82.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	85.4	72 of 695	89.6%	★★★★☆
2025	71.9	162 of 694	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	65.3	217 of 684	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.4	194 of 642	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	82.0	88 of 595	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	72.7	107 of 351	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.1	140 of 758	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	73.3	154 of 690	77.7%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	46 of 120	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.5	43 of 119	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	87.9	14 of 251	94.4%	★★★★★
2025	72.3	42 of 247	83.0%	★★★★☆
2023	88.3	13 of 197	93.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	85.3	24 of 322	92.5%	★★★★★
2025	65.1	81 of 337	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	77.4	39 of 265	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	50.5	152 of 332	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	85.5	78 of 697	88.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.5	113 of 700	83.9%	★★★★☆
2024	65.2	220 of 683	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.1	130 of 649	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	155 of 594	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	81.5	68 of 352	80.7%	★★★★☆
2019	71.5	180 of 764	76.4%	★★★★☆
2018	69.2	178 of 693	74.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	93.4	15 of 547	97.3%	★★★★★
2025	81.2	65 of 551	88.2%	★★★★☆
2024	65.7	183 of 539	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.1	113 of 525	78.5%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	93 of 454	79.5%	★★★★☆
2021	74.6	69 of 288	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	72.2	134 of 596	77.5%	★★★★☆
2018	71.9	84 of 337	75.1%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)97th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)94th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)90th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)89th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)62nd percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts73%+28 vs state

Math70%+32 vs state

Science67%+31 vs state

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Schools Near Willow 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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Willow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8499 E Stoll Place	Denver	80238	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-2100	596	36	16.5	29.0%	276 (46.3%)	54 (9.1%)	157 (26.3%)	41 (6.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (10.7%)	89.9	73^rd of 946 public elementary schools	92.3%		83.3	135^th of 950 public elementary schools	85.8%	62	54.8	76.6	86.2		72.6	55.4	75.0	78.2		69.6	66.7	$16,588
Inspire Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5650 N Elmira Ct	Denver	80238	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-4850	645	37	17.4	25.4%	359 (55.7%)	41 (6.4%)	163 (25.3%)	26 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (8.4%)	72.7	234^th of 946 public elementary schools	75.3%		79.4	182^nd of 950 public elementary schools	80.8%	52	54.5	53.3	61.5		56.4	59.6	45.6	55.1		53.6	49.4	$15,706
Rose Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6900 East 58th Avenue	Commerce City	80022	Adams County	School District N. 14	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 287-0163	315	22	14.1	88.9%	25 (7.9%)	10 (3.2%)	273 (86.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	8.5	906^th of 946 public elementary schools	4.2%					(n/a)	6.8	20.4	17.3	9.8	14.0	700.0	16.3	7.7	702.0	9.4	15.4	$19,535
Swigert International School	Public	PK, KG-5	3480 Syracuse Street	Denver	80238	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-4800	673	40	16.7	20.5%	381 (56.6%)	63 (9.4%)	118 (17.5%)	42 (6.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (9.8%)	86	121^st of 946 public elementary schools	87.2%		86.2	115^th of 950 public elementary schools	87.9%	6	63.9	75.8	75.2		71.7	56.8	75.3	57.0		63.0	50.5	$16,694
Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy FNE	Public	PK, KG-2	19201 E 62nd Ave.	Denver	80238	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 940-0736	161	12	13.1	72.0%	15 (9.3%)	46 (28.6%)	74 (46.0%)	6 (3.7%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.7%)	13 (8.1%)								(n/a)												$27,277
Academy 360	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	12000 E. 47th Ave	Denver	80239	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 574-1360	201	16	12.6	70.1%	11 (5.5%)	66 (32.8%)	103 (51.2%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	16 (8.0%)	10.1	887^th of 946 public elementary schools	6.2%					(n/a)	15.0	23.5	21.1		19.6	17.4	719.0	716.0		14.8	707.0	$18,234
Monarch Montessori	Public, Charter	K-5	4895 N Peoria Street	Denver	80239	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 712-2001	282	20	14.0	68.4%	49 (17.4%)	40 (14.2%)	167 (59.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.5%)	11.4	869^th of 946 public elementary schools	8.1%		14.2	818^th of 950 public elementary schools	13.9%	51	16.7	26.5	21.7		22.2	706.0	12.8	707.0		9.2	701.0	$16,620
Smith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3590 Jasmine Street	Denver	80207	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-4000	457	29	15.6	88.8%	30 (6.6%)	117 (25.6%)	280 (61.3%)	4 (0.9%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.9%)	14	828^th of 946 public elementary schools	12.5%		12.9	839^th of 950 public elementary schools	11.7%	11	18.9	25.0	34.7		27.0	18.2	14.3	10.2		14.4	18.0	$19,955
University Prep - Commerce City	Public, Charter	PK-K	6201 Holly Street	Commerce City	80022	Adams County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 866-6600	24	0		54.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (95.8%)	1 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$27,889
Westerly Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8800 East 28th Avenue	Denver	80238	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-3160	647	42	15.5	20.1%	401 (62.0%)	52 (8.0%)	102 (15.8%)	25 (3.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (9.9%)	97.3	13^th of 946 public elementary schools	98.6%		96	17^th of 950 public elementary schools	98.2%	4	87.8	87.1	93.8		89.5	91.9	65.3	79.4		78.8	89.8	$17,907

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Elementary School

How many students attend Willow Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 596 students attended Willow Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Willow Elementary School?

Students at Willow Elementary School are 46% White, 26% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 9% African American, 7% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Willow Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Denver Green School Northfield
Middle : DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School
Middle : DSST: Montview Middle School
Middle : McAuliffe International School
High : Northfield High School

Is Willow Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Willow Elementary School ranks in the top 7.7% of Colorado elementary schools.

What district is Willow 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.