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Ben Franklin Academy

Q: Is Ben Franklin Academy a good school?

Ben Franklin Academy ranks 137 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

137^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Ben Franklin Academy is a large PK–8 public school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, serving 956 students within the Douglas County School District Re 1. For 2025–2026, the school ranks in the 85th percentile statewide (4 stars) — a solid, above-average performance, though not at the top of its own neighborhood. Several nearby schools rank higher, including Eldorado Elementary and Stone Mountain Elementary (both 99th percentile) and Littleton Academy (97th percentile), the closest comparable PK–8 school. Ben Franklin serves a highly advantaged student body (8.26% free/reduced lunch) with strong attendance; its 9.0% chronic absenteeism rate is well below the district's 16.6% and the state's 28.4%.

The school's clearest academic strength is 8th grade math, where 82.3% of students are proficient, far surpassing the district (57.1%) and state (37.8%) and beating Littleton Academy's 8th grade math score (62.5%). However, there are two notable soft spots: 5th grade ELA proficiency (58.9%) falls below the district average (66.6%) and nearly all neighboring schools, and 6th grade math (47.0%) is the lowest among all comparison schools. The school also has the largest classes in the area, with a 19.9 student-teacher ratio, compared to 12.9 at Littleton Academy and roughly 13–16 at most nearby elementary schools.

Ben Franklin's statewide rank has slipped over recent years — from the 93rd percentile in 2018–2019 and 2022–2023 to the 85th percentile in 2025–2026 — largely because peers like Stone Mountain and Eldorado have surged to the 99th percentile. For parents, this is a well-attended, large school with an exceptional middle school math program and strong overall academics. But families weighing options in Highlands Ranch should consider the larger class sizes and the bumpy transition into 6th grade. If the school can extend its 8th grade math success to earlier grades and strengthen literacy at 5th grade, it has a strong foundation to rejoin the area's top tier.

956

Students ?

19.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,206

Per pupil spending ?

8.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2270 Plaza Dr
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129-1501

(720) 383-4519

District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.4%

Hispanic:

11.8%

Two or more races:

7.1%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Ben Franklin Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 93rd percentile in 2019 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (64% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Colorado elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 93rd-percentile peak (2019) to 86th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg60%

Colorado avg40%

Elementary school

137^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 23% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

46^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd of 58Elementary Schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1

6^th of 114Douglas 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	84.5	137 of 946	85.5%	★★★★☆
2025	88.5	89 of 950	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	84.4	127 of 943	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	90.7	69 of 933	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	87.9	89 of 921	90.3%	★★★★★
2021	78.5	167 of 710	76.5%	★★★★☆
2019	90.0	70 of 965	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	85.9	105 of 917	88.5%	★★★★☆
2017	76.6	199 of 929	78.6%	★★★★☆
2016	74.4	207 of 914	77.4%	★★★★☆
2015	76.4	192 of 938	79.5%	★★★★☆
2014	83.7	127 of 962	86.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	81.3	107 of 695	84.6%	★★★★☆
2025	78.9	114 of 694	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	141 of 684	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	113 of 642	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	119 of 595	80.0%	★★★★☆
2021	68.2	124 of 351	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.9	143 of 758	81.1%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	182 of 690	73.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	75.8	23 of 119	80.7%	★★★★☆
2024	54.1	54 of 91	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.7	53 of 110	51.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	76.4	142 of 697	79.6%	★★★★☆
2025	86.8	65 of 700	90.7%	★★★★★
2024	80.6	107 of 683	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	91.3	37 of 649	94.3%	★★★★★
2022	87.8	56 of 594	90.6%	★★★★★
2021	71.4	116 of 352	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	90.9	43 of 764	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	88.6	56 of 693	91.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	173 of 547	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.1	114 of 551	79.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.6	129 of 539	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	65 of 525	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.8	109 of 454	76.0%	★★★★☆
2021	55.8	147 of 288	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.5	104 of 596	82.6%	★★★★☆
2018	67.4	97 of 337	71.2%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	87.8	46 of 476	90.3%	★★★★★
2025	91.9	29 of 469	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	85.0	56 of 485	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	92.3	30 of 480	93.8%	★★★★★
2022	91.2	30 of 448	93.3%	★★★★★
2021	95.1	16 of 369	95.7%	★★★★★
2019	94.1	19 of 458	95.9%	★★★★★
2018	88.8	30 of 418	92.8%	★★★★★
2017	81.6	58 of 424	86.3%	★★★★☆
2016	65.4	110 of 400	72.5%	★★★★☆
2015	71.8	86 of 436	80.3%	★★★★☆
2014	88.0	38 of 461	91.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	82.2	52 of 368	85.9%	★★★★☆
2025	82.9	46 of 347	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	76 of 350	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	84.7	46 of 363	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	84.6	38 of 326	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	91.6	17 of 254	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	85.6	42 of 352	88.1%	★★★★☆
2018	78.7	44 of 315	86.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	65.0	53 of 154	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.2	27 of 132	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	45.0	89 of 126	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.7	59 of 125	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.2	33 of 134	75.4%	★★★★☆
2018	62.2	42 of 121	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	84.2	45 of 372	87.9%	★★★★☆
2025	93.4	19 of 352	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	85.6	40 of 357	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	92.0	23 of 356	93.5%	★★★★★
2022	89.9	23 of 328	93.0%	★★★★★
2021	93.2	13 of 249	94.8%	★★★★★
2019	96.4	11 of 343	96.8%	★★★★★
2018	88.5	24 of 317	92.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	75.9	54 of 278	80.6%	★★★★☆
2025	83.4	33 of 275	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	73.1	56 of 273	79.5%	★★★★☆
2023	83.5	35 of 286	87.8%	★★★★☆
2022	79.8	38 of 265	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	89.4	14 of 203	93.1%	★★★★★
2019	84.7	29 of 283	89.8%	★★★★★
2018	65.7	58 of 199	70.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Female (2026)85th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2025)81st percentile-10 vs school

Male (2026)80th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile-17 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)88th percentile~ school

Female (2026)86th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)81st percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)66th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Science66%+30 vs state

Math65%+27 vs state

English Language Arts64%+19 vs state

4.0

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★1

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, February 25, 2019

The staff there is amazing including the front desk ladies who are the gate keepers ). My daughter started kindergarten there, I didn't enroll her in preschool there but get alot of questions about the preschool there. I personally did the tour loved the vibe for kindergarten and up but wasnt impressed with the staff for preschool. I didn't see much smiling on the first impression for preschool especially one whose really LOUD and intense when she talks to you. The tours say all when your looking at schools. Good luck! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, September 15, 2014

We have been at BFA for several years and experienced kindergarten through middle school. The curriculum is fabulous, the teachers are great, and several great improvements have recently been made for the middle school. The staff is friendly and helpful. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 11, 2014

Curriculum is good; however staff is not nice. Close Quote

Schools Near Ben Franklin Academy

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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
Ben Franklin Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	2270 Plaza Dr	Highlands Ranch	80129	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 383-4519	956	48	19.9	8.3%	730 (76.4%)	6 (0.6%)	113 (11.8%)	35 (3.7%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (7.1%)	84.5	137^th of 946 public elementary schools	85.5%		88.5	89^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.6%	48	60.0	62.9	58.9	62.2	67.5	73.0	63.5	68.4	72.4	64.4	47.0	55.4	82.3	64.6	65.6	67.2	$12,206
Littleton Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1200 West Mineral Avenue	Littleton	80120	Arapahoe County	Littleton School District No. 6	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 798-5252	455	35	12.9	10.8%	329 (72.3%)	8 (1.8%)	47 (10.3%)	33 (7.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (7.5%)	94.9	29^th of 946 public elementary schools	96.9%		90.1	73^rd of 950 public elementary schools	92.3%	44	70.0	86.5	80.8	73.6	76.7	75.0	77.2	72.0	82.7	74.5	60.4	58.1	62.5	68.7	68.6	68.8	$17,383
Trailblazer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9760 South Hackberry	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6250	330	23	14.6	17.3%	224 (67.9%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (18.2%)	11 (3.3%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (9.4%)	92.4	51^st of 946 public elementary schools	94.6%		88	99^th of 950 public elementary schools	89.6%	48	71.1	81.3	75.5	64.5			73.3	71.1	70.6	66.7	64.5			68.3	64.7		$19,866
Eldorado Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1305 Timbervale Trail	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6325	377	28	13.4	17.8%	250 (66.3%)	4 (1.1%)	73 (19.4%)	16 (4.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (8.5%)	98.1	9^th of 946 public elementary schools	99.0%		93.4	40^th of 950 public elementary schools	95.8%	31	75.5	94.9	93.1	84.4			85.8	78.0	92.3	93.1	71.7			82.3	85.2		$20,762
Northridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	555 South Park Road	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6525	560	37	15.3	15.4%	353 (63.0%)	8 (1.4%)	74 (13.2%)	78 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (8.2%)	90.5	65^th of 946 public elementary schools	93.1%		92.9	46^th of 950 public elementary schools	95.2%	19	56.5	82.4	86.4	72.6			75.3	67.2	62.4	69.8	50.0			62.4	76.6		$17,633
Runyon Elementary School	Public	K-5	7455 South Elati Street	Littleton	80120	Arapahoe County	Littleton School District No. 6	No	No	No	No	(303) 347-4650	423	26	16.5	20.3%	349 (82.5%)	8 (1.9%)	43 (10.2%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.8%)	83.8	141^st of 946 public elementary schools	85.1%		81.6	156^th of 950 public elementary schools	83.6%	15	46.3	75.8	68.4				63.4	58.2	69.8	63.2				63.6	60.5		$18,934
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%)	79.5	178^th of 946 public elementary schools	81.2%		78.9	190^th of 950 public elementary schools	80.0%	12	78.9	65.2	68.2	78.6			71.9	75.0	47.8	52.3	60.7			57.4	38.6		$18,991
Coyote Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2861 Baneberry Court	Highlands Ranch	80129	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-6175	506	31	16.1	12.6%	351 (69.4%)	6 (1.2%)	78 (15.4%)	16 (3.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (10.3%)	86.8	111^th of 946 public elementary schools	88.3%		90	74^th of 950 public elementary schools	92.2%	37	62.5	77.0	60.7	71.2			67.7	63.9	60.7	66.1	66.7			64.4	50.8		$18,273
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%)	92.8	44^th of 946 public elementary schools	95.3%		94.7	32^nd of 950 public elementary schools	96.6%	12	64.4	76.1	89.7	82.9			77.8	84.4	60.9	73.8	58.5			69.5	61.5		$17,076
Stone Mountain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	10625 Weathersfield Way	Highlands Ranch	80129	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-7525	452	28	16.4	3.5%	381 (84.3%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.3%)	19 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.8%)	97.5	12^th of 946 public elementary schools	98.7%		96.2	16^th of 950 public elementary schools	98.3%	4	76.6	81.3	85.5	82.5			81.6	93.8	75.0	83.6	72.2			80.7	81.5		$16,599

Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Franklin Academy

Is Ben Franklin Academy a good school?

Ben Franklin Academy ranks 137^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ben Franklin Academy?

Students at Ben Franklin Academy are 76% White, 12% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend Ben Franklin Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 956 students attended Ben Franklin Academy.

What district is Ben Franklin Academy in?

Douglas County School District No. Re 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.