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Putnam Elementary School

Q: Is Putnam Elementary School a good school?

Putnam Elementary School ranks 509 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

509^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Putnam Elementary School is a small PK-5 school in Fort Collins’ Poudre School District R-1, serving 258 students in a high-poverty neighborhood. Academically, Putnam sits near the middle of Colorado schools overall, ranking 509th out of 943 elementary schools statewide (46th percentile) for 2025–2026. That represents meaningful improvement over the past decade, as the school has climbed from the 8th percentile in 2021–2022, suggesting recent progress is real, though it still lags many nearby district peers like Dunn Elementary and Tavelli Elementary.

The school faces two clear challenges: exceptionally high chronic absenteeism and persistent math weakness. Putnam’s chronic absenteeism rate was 44.3% in 2024–2025, far above the district average of 30.7% and roughly double the rates at nearby schools like Dunn (15.3%) and Tavelli (35.8%). Math proficiency was 26.5% in 2025–2026, versus 52.2% for the district and 37.3% for the state. That said, English Language Arts proficiency was 44.6%, almost exactly at the state average, and science proficiency actually exceeded the state average. The school also has the lowest student-teacher ratio among comparable schools at 9.3, suggesting smaller class sizes, yet this advantage has not fully translated into higher test scores.

There are notable bright spots. Putnam’s Hispanic students performed exceptionally well compared to statewide peers, ranking in the 93rd percentile in 2024–2025 and 85th percentile in 2025–2026. Grade-level trends also show strong growth, with 3rd grade ELA proficiency at just 28.6% rising to 61.3% by 5th grade, indicating students make meaningful progress as they remain at the school. Compared to Irish Elementary, which has similar poverty levels, Putnam has higher chronic absenteeism but also shows stronger Hispanic student performance. For parents, the biggest opportunity for improvement is attendance — reducing absenteeism could have a substantial impact on both math and reading growth. Putnam is clearly moving in the right direction, but persistent attendance challenges remain a major barrier to sustained improvement.

258

Students ?

9.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,337

Per pupil spending ?

77.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1400 Maple Street
Fort Collins, CO 80521-1717

(970) 488-7700

District: Poudre School District R-1

Students who attend Putnam Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lincoln Middle School
High:	Poudre High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.8%

White:

38.4%

African American:

3.1%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 23rd percentile in 2015 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 28% Colorado)

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

!Math scores 11 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg56%

Colorado avg41%

509^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 38 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 30Elementary Schools in the Poudre School District R-1

12^th of 114Poudre School District R-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	40.7	509 of 946	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.1	349 of 950	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.1	554 of 943	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.7	661 of 933	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	843 of 921	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.5	731 of 965	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	744 of 917	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	13.4	828 of 929	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	12.5	837 of 914	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	22.1	725 of 938	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	31.1	693 of 962	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.6	696 of 954	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	29.8	689 of 935	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.2	641 of 935	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	39.2	612 of 925	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.5	498 of 872	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	41.1	546 of 849	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.0	468 of 852	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	33.7	587 of 829	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	32.7	596 of 823	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	39.9	523 of 808	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	14.1	567 of 642	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	539 of 758	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	74.3	38 of 251	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	87.2	18 of 247	92.7%	★★★★★
2024	49.7	107 of 242	55.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	47.5	334 of 649	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.0	583 of 764	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)85th percentile+39 vs school

Male (2023)49th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2023)12th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts45%~ state avg

Science42%+6 vs state

Math26%-11 vs state

5.0

5 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Putnam Elementary really cares about each and every student in that school. The staff are truly amazing and very supportive. They truly care about how they can help each student be successful. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, July 12, 2014

Our family loves Putnam Elementary school! This is one of the most diverse schools in Fort Collins. The curriculum is designed to meet students at their learning level, and every time I visit my son's classroom, the children are actively engaged in learning. Putnam also has an excellent behavioral management program; the children are respectful to one another, and I have great trust in both leadership and staff. Keep in mind that English language learners' abilities may not be best represented by standardized test scores. Close Quote

Schools Near Putnam 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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Putnam Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Maple Street	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-7700	258	28	9.3	77.1%	99 (38.4%)	8 (3.1%)	131 (50.8%)	3 (1.2%)	7 (2.7%)	3 (1.2%)	7 (2.7%)	40.7	509^th of 946 public elementary schools	46.2%		61.1	349^th of 950 public elementary schools	63.3%	160	28.6	41.7	61.3	44.6	17.9	25.0	35.5	26.5	41.9	$23,337
Dunn Elementary School	Public	K-5	501 South Washington	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4825	392	27	14.4	30.6%	287 (73.2%)	18 (4.6%)	38 (9.7%)	27 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.6%)	79.3	180^th of 946 public elementary schools	81.0%		85.4	122^nd of 950 public elementary schools	87.2%	58	63.1	65.6	67.8	65.4	52.3	50.0	53.3	51.9	60.0	$20,272
Irish Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	515 Irish Drive	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-6900	365	29	12.5	71.2%	101 (27.7%)	3 (0.8%)	247 (67.7%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	35.2	572^nd of 946 public elementary schools	39.5%		33.1	588^th of 950 public elementary schools	38.1%	16	25.0	51.2	35.8	38.3	28.9	42.0	31.5	34.5	22.0	$21,031
Bennett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1125 Bennett Road	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4750	362	25	14.7	48.6%	236 (65.2%)	11 (3.0%)	84 (23.2%)	10 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.5%)	68.1	282^nd of 946 public elementary schools	70.2%		65.4	315^th of 950 public elementary schools	66.8%	33	40.7	65.2	69.0	57.0	45.3	48.9	54.8	49.3	45.0	$19,459
Bauder Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2345 West Prospect Road	Fort Collins	80526	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-4150	423	34	12.4	54.6%	278 (65.7%)	12 (2.8%)	104 (24.6%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.0%)	51.1	428^th of 946 public elementary schools	54.8%		58.4	377^th of 950 public elementary schools	60.3%	51	32.8	47.4	52.2	44.5	35.9	42.9	45.6	41.6	40.3	$21,351
Harris Bilingual Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 East Elizabeth	Fort Collins	80524	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-5200	311	22	13.8	61.1%	81 (26.0%)	0 (0.0%)	223 (71.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	62.4	333^rd of 946 public elementary schools	64.8%		55.6	402^nd of 950 public elementary schools	57.7%	69	67.7	41.7	50.0	51.2	47.1	37.3	52.0	45.4	56.0	$20,927
Laurel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 East Locust Street	Fort Collins	80524	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-5925	412	30	13.8	54.6%	227 (55.1%)	8 (1.9%)	145 (35.2%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.3%)	53.5	408^th of 946 public elementary schools	56.9%		49.5	446^th of 950 public elementary schools	53.1%	38	37.7	50.0	61.2	49.5	40.6	33.3	35.8	36.6	49.3	$20,328
Tavelli Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1118 Miramount Drive	Fort Collins	80524	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-6725	519	30	17.3	35.8%	344 (66.3%)	1 (0.2%)	135 (26.0%)	5 (1.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.6%)	88.3	90^th of 946 public elementary schools	90.5%		83.3	136^th of 950 public elementary schools	85.7%	46	67.1	69.4	77.3	71.1	64.6	57.1	65.3	62.2	63.5	$18,085
O'Dea Elementary School	Public	K-5	312 Princeton Road	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4450	398	34	11.7	45.2%	273 (68.6%)	7 (1.8%)	77 (19.3%)	9 (2.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	85.7	124^th of 946 public elementary schools	86.9%		84.2	128^th of 950 public elementary schools	86.5%	4	56.3	70.4	76.6	67.8	60.0	59.7	62.7	60.7	60.3	$22,724
Beattie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 Meadowlark Avenue	Fort Collins	80526	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4225	302	20	15.4	50.3%	186 (61.6%)	7 (2.3%)	73 (24.2%)	10 (3.3%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.0%)	72.6	236^th of 946 public elementary schools	75.1%		67.4	296^th of 950 public elementary schools	68.8%	60	54.3	73.8	63.2	64.3	48.6	52.4	47.4	49.6	41.7	$19,044

Frequently Asked Questions about Putnam Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Putnam Elementary School?

Students at Putnam Elementary School are 51% Hispanic, 38% White, 3% African American, 3% American Indian, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

Is Putnam Elementary School a good school?

Putnam Elementary School ranks 509^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Putnam Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 258 students attended Putnam Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Putnam Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Lincoln Middle School
High : Poudre High School

What district is Putnam Elementary School in?

Poudre School District R-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.