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Laurel Elementary School

Q: Is Laurel Elementary School a good school?

Laurel Elementary School ranks 408 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

408^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Laurel Elementary School is a PK–5 elementary school in Fort Collins, CO, serving roughly 412 students as part of the highly regarded Poudre School District R-1. About 55% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school currently holds a 3-star rating, ranking in the 57th percentile statewide. What stands out most, though, is its trajectory: over the past four years, Laurel has climbed from the 28th percentile to just above the state median, making it one of the strongest turnaround stories among nearby elementary schools.

Academically, Laurel's biggest challenge is math. Only 36.6% of students are proficient in math, compared with 52.2% districtwide. Nearby schools like Tavelli Elementary School (62.2%) and Riffenburgh Elementary School (62.1%) are far ahead. Math struggles appear early and persist across all grade levels. Reading is a brighter story: ELA proficiency is 49.5%, above the state average of 44.7%, and 5th graders reach 61.2% proficiency. Science is also a bright spot, with 5th-grade proficiency at 49.3%, nearly matching the district average.

Attendance is Laurel's clearest opportunity for improvement. With 33.2% of students chronically absent, the rate is far higher than nearby Harris Bilingual Elementary School (16.8%) and Shepardson Elementary School (9.8%). Notably, Laurel has a lower poverty rate than Harris Bilingual, yet much higher absenteeism, suggesting attendance is a key barrier to faster growth. The school's favorable 13.8 student-teacher ratio also hasn't yet translated into top-tier results. Still, with rising scores and a strong district behind it, Laurel is a school on the upswing, though sustaining momentum will require closing gaps for students who are still being left behind.

412

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,328

Per pupil spending ?

54.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1000 East Locust Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524-3421

(970) 488-5925

District: Poudre School District R-1

Students who attend Laurel Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lincoln Middle School
High:	Fort Collins High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.1%

Hispanic:

35.2%

Two or more races:

6.3%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Laurel Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 41st percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Colorado median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Poudre School District R-1's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg56%

Colorado avg41%

408^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd 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	53.5	408 of 946	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.5	446 of 950	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.1	569 of 943	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.1	599 of 933	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.1	665 of 921	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	587 of 710	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.4	675 of 965	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.5	597 of 917	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.5	556 of 929	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.9	540 of 914	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	33.3	592 of 938	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	22.1	773 of 962	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	20.5	780 of 954	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	32.0	675 of 935	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	40.5	602 of 935	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	34.6	651 of 925	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	33.5	636 of 872	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	27.9	654 of 849	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	39.6	567 of 852	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	36.9	560 of 829	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	34.1	582 of 823	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	32.8	575 of 808	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	320 of 695	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.4	305 of 694	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.5	458 of 684	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	431 of 642	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.7	424 of 595	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.3	603 of 758	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	549 of 690	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	191 of 251	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.3	103 of 153	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	34.7	228 of 322	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.7	211 of 337	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.0	340 of 365	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	175 of 203	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.6	317 of 332	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.9	291 of 308	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	40.7	394 of 697	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.5	458 of 700	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.8	519 of 683	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	549 of 649	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	544 of 594	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	548 of 764	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	497 of 693	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	57.6	235 of 547	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.7	176 of 551	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	25.3	435 of 539	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.7	365 of 525	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	12.1	430 of 454	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	43.2	335 of 596	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)57th percentile~ school

Female (2026)54th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile-28 vs school

Hispanic (2026)24th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts50%+5 vs state

Science49%+13 vs state

Math37%~ state avg

4.0

4 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 17, 2020

We love Laurel Elementary! Our children are being taught and nurtured in a diverse school that focuses on the arts and technology. Laurel's strings program is top-notch and students can begin playing the violin as early as kindergarten. When we needed a different house, we made sure to find a home in the neighborhood so that our children could continue at Laurel. The teachers really care, and administration is responsive to our needs. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, September 14, 2020

We choice into Laurel and absolutely love it. My children get extra literacy and math, above grade level, help because the adult to student ratio is so great. The title one program provides amazing support across grade levels. The diversity at Laurel is unlike many other schools within Fort Collins. We LOVE Laurel! Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 11, 2020

Wonderful teachers and lots of great resources for the students. My daughter loves it here! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 3, 2015

If you have any other option, take it. Close Quote

Schools Near Laurel 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 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
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
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
Riffenburgh Elementary School	Public	K-5	1320 East Stuart Street	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-7935	443	30	14.7	34.5%	316 (71.3%)	10 (2.3%)	80 (18.1%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	23 (5.2%)	86	119^th of 946 public elementary schools	87.4%		77.6	205^th of 950 public elementary schools	78.4%	86	60.3	76.7	76.2				71.4	53.6	68.6	62.5				62.1	51.6		$18,661
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
Mountain Sage Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	2310 East Prospect Road Suite	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 568-5456	265	17	15.9	26.0%	216 (81.5%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.7%)	8 (3.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.1%)	44.9	470^th of 946 public elementary schools	50.3%		58	380^th of 950 public elementary schools	60.0%	90	42.9	46.7	57.1		747.0	93.8	54.3	22.7	38.6	28.6		739.0	68.8	37.1	33.3	75.0	$13,906
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
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
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
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
Shepardson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Springwood Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4525	414	30	13.9	24.2%	339 (81.9%)	3 (0.7%)	39 (9.4%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.3%)	78.1	191^st of 946 public elementary schools	79.8%		89.5	78^th of 950 public elementary schools	91.8%	113	50.9	70.6	70.3				64.6	56.1	61.8	49.2				55.8	47.0		$20,118

Frequently Asked Questions about Laurel Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Laurel Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Lincoln Middle School
High : Fort Collins High School

What district is Laurel Elementary School in?

Poudre School District R-1

How many students attend Laurel Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 412 students attended Laurel Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Laurel Elementary School?

Students at Laurel Elementary School are 55% White, 35% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is Laurel Elementary School a good school?

Laurel Elementary School ranks 408^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Laurel Elementary School!

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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.