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Copper Mesa Elementary School

Q: Is Copper Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Copper Mesa Elementary School ranks 141 st of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

141^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Copper Mesa Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, serving grades PK-6 with 322 students. It is part of the highly-ranked Douglas County School District No. Re 1, which is ranked 9 out of 115 school districts in Colorado and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Copper Mesa Elementary consistently outperforms the Douglas County School District and the state of Colorado in CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) test scores across all grades and subjects. For example, in 2024-2025, Copper Mesa's 5th grade science proficiency rate was 71.4% compared to 58.1% for the district and 39% for the state. The school has also maintained a strong academic performance, consistently ranking in the top 25% of Colorado elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Compared to nearby schools like Cougar Run Elementary and Saddle Ranch Elementary, Copper Mesa's academic achievement is significantly higher.

However, the school has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.0% in 2021-2022 to 27.7% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the district average. Additionally, while Copper Mesa Elementary excels overall, the lower performance for white students compared to other subgroups may indicate potential equity issues that the school and district should further investigate.

306

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,543

Per pupil spending ?

11.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3501 Poston Parkway
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126-8033

(303) 387-7375

District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1

Students who attend Copper Mesa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mountain Ridge Middle School
High:	Mountain Vista High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.9%

Hispanic:

12.1%

Two or more races:

8.8%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Copper Mesa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 83rd percentile in 2015 → 85th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (63% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of Colorado elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school63%

District avg59%

Colorado avg40%

141^st of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th of 58Elementary Schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1

9^th of 115Douglas County School District No. Re 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
2025	83.0	141 of 950	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	82.5	147 of 943	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	84.0	130 of 933	86.1%	★★★★☆
2022	84.8	108 of 921	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	66.9	244 of 710	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.3	353 of 965	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.0	257 of 917	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	75.8	204 of 929	78.0%	★★★★☆
2016	71.0	239 of 914	73.9%	★★★★☆
2015	79.9	163 of 938	82.6%	★★★★☆
2014	79.1	177 of 962	81.6%	★★★★☆
2013	80.1	164 of 954	82.8%	★★★★☆
2012	84.1	120 of 935	87.2%	★★★★☆
2011	77.6	191 of 935	79.6%	★★★★☆
2010	83.3	127 of 925	86.3%	★★★★☆
2009	80.1	152 of 872	82.6%	★★★★☆
2008	82.6	117 of 849	86.2%	★★★★☆
2007	82.5	111 of 852	87.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	68.8	183 of 694	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.7	150 of 684	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	81.2	94 of 642	85.4%	★★★★☆
2022	78.3	105 of 595	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	55.9	188 of 351	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.0	332 of 758	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.7	242 of 690	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	84.7	77 of 700	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	78.2	130 of 683	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	85.1	75 of 649	88.4%	★★★★☆
2022	74.3	139 of 594	76.6%	★★★★☆
2021	57.6	181 of 352	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.5	292 of 764	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.6	218 of 693	68.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	61.2	200 of 551	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.4	184 of 539	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.2	183 of 525	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.0	100 of 454	78.0%	★★★★☆
2021	47.0	181 of 288	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.4	377 of 596	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)89th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)74th percentile-12 vs school

White (2025)64th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Science71%+32 vs state

Math63%+27 vs state

English Language Arts60%+15 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 13, 2018

This is our first year at Copper Mesa and we couldn't be more pleased. The administration, staff, students, and parents are fantastic! Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, December 2, 2012

My child is in Second Grade and has been going to Copper Mesa since Kindergarten. CME is a wonderful school with highly educated and supportive teachers. Luan Ezra is an excellent principal that always puts students first. My child has always been happy and challenged at Copper Mesa. This school has a wide range of technology, math, science, social studies, writing and reading resources that are always current. Copper Mesa is a second home to our family and we couldn't be happier. Close Quote

by a citizen
Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Outstanding school. Warm, welcoming, lots of opportunity for parent involvement. A real neighborhood school Close Quote

Schools Near Copper Mesa Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CMAS English Language Arts (2025)							CMAS Math (2025)							CMAS Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Copper Mesa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3501 Poston Parkway	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-7375	306	21	14.5	11.1%	223 (72.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (12.1%)	18 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.8%)	83	141^st of 950 public elementary schools	85.2%		82.5	147^th of 943 public elementary schools	84.4%	6	45.0	59.1	64.3	70.2			60.1	62.5	50.0	71.4	67.4			62.8	71.4		$18,543
Heritage Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3350 Summit View Parkway	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6725	377	26	14.4	10.1%	253 (67.1%)	3 (0.8%)	63 (16.7%)	28 (7.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.7%)	95.9	19^th of 950 public elementary schools	98.0%		95.4	26^th of 943 public elementary schools	97.2%	7	73.3	80.0	78.9	90.2			81.1	80.0	71.4	71.1	64.7			71.6	86.5		$17,720
Arrowwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	10345 Arrowwood Drive	Highlands Ranch	80130	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6875	390	25	15.8	22.3%	248 (63.6%)	7 (1.8%)	80 (20.5%)	23 (5.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.9%)	68.8	279^th of 950 public elementary schools	70.6%		68	288^th of 943 public elementary schools	69.5%	9	62.9	68.3	57.1	55.3			60.5	54.3	50.0	42.0	40.4			46.0	40.8		$17,308
Summit View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	10200 South Piedmont Drive	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6800	350	24	14.6	10.0%	239 (68.3%)	5 (1.4%)	55 (15.7%)	20 (5.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.3%)	91.3	60^th of 950 public elementary schools	93.7%		87.8	98^th of 943 public elementary schools	89.6%	38	63.9	68.6	72.9	87.7			74.9	73.0	71.4	61.7	68.4			67.7	63.3		$18,380
Redstone Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9970 Glenstone Circle	Highlands Ranch	80130	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-7300	398	28	14.4	9.5%	262 (65.8%)	4 (1.0%)	50 (12.6%)	52 (13.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	95.4	27^th of 950 public elementary schools	97.2%		91.7	59^th of 943 public elementary schools	93.7%	32	75.4	85.2	89.0				83.3	77.3	84.9	70.8				77.0	64.9		$18,774
Wildcat Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6585 Lionshead Parkway	Littleton	80124	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6925	423	29	14.8	15.6%	292 (69.0%)	6 (1.4%)	56 (13.2%)	31 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	34 (8.0%)	90.9	65^th of 950 public elementary schools	93.2%		86.8	108^th of 943 public elementary schools	88.5%	43	64.1	66.2	83.8				71.8	65.2	60.3	81.3				68.9	68.0		$18,926
Platte River Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4085 Lark Sparrow St.	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 221-1070	475	34	14.1	4.0%	321 (67.6%)	6 (1.3%)	36 (7.6%)	61 (12.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (10.1%)	92.3	49^th of 950 public elementary schools	94.8%		92.7	49^th of 943 public elementary schools	94.8%		80.4	67.3	68.6	80.4	88.5	77.8	77.2	86.3	75.0	68.6	60.8	65.4	77.8	72.2	60.0	73.9	$9,695
Bear Canyon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9660 Salford Lane	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6475	368	23	16.0	12.8%	278 (75.5%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (13.3%)	15 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.1%)	94.7	32^nd of 950 public elementary schools	96.6%		90.3	76^th of 943 public elementary schools	91.9%	44	76.5	76.1	77.8	88.9			79.7	66.7	63.0	77.8	69.6			69.1	82.2		$16,177
Cougar Run Elementary School	Public	K-6	8780 Venneford Ranch Road	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6675	392	25	15.6	20.7%	269 (68.6%)	6 (1.5%)	71 (18.1%)	15 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.7%)	87.3	108^th of 950 public elementary schools	88.6%		84.3	130^th of 943 public elementary schools	86.2%	22	73.1	79.1	74.5	72.3			74.6	71.2	51.2	55.8	59.6			59.8	54.2		$20,869
Saddle Ranch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	805 West English Sparrow Trail	Highlands Ranch	80129	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6400	355	23	15.1	10.1%	275 (77.5%)	3 (0.8%)	49 (13.8%)	15 (4.2%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	78.9	190^th of 950 public elementary schools	80.0%		91.3	65^th of 943 public elementary schools	93.1%	125	62.8	44.4	59.5	77.1			61.3	65.1	37.8	62.2	77.1			60.7	56.8		$17,627

Frequently Asked Questions about Copper Mesa Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Copper Mesa Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Copper Mesa Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mountain Ridge Middle School
High : Mountain Vista High School

How many students attend Copper Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 306 students attended Copper Mesa Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Copper Mesa Elementary School?

Students at Copper Mesa Elementary School are 73% White, 12% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What district is Copper Mesa Elementary School in?

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

Is Copper Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Copper Mesa Elementary School ranks 141^st of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Copper Mesa Elementary School!

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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.