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Shepardson Elementary School

Q: Is Shepardson Elementary School a good school?

Shepardson Elementary School ranks 191 st of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

191^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Shepardson Elementary School is a PK–5 public school in Fort Collins, CO, serving 414 students as part of the highly rated Poudre School District R-1. The school has a strong academic history, generally ranking in the 73rd–92nd percentile statewide over the past decade and earning 4 or 5 stars most years. In 2025–26, it ranked 191st of 943 Colorado elementary schools (80th percentile, 4 stars), with ELA proficiency of 64.6% and math proficiency of 55.8%—both comfortably above district and state averages.

Compared with nearby schools, Shepardson sits in the middle-to-upper tier. It outperforms Beattie Elementary School, Lopez Elementary School, Mountain Sage Community School, and Linton Elementary School, but trails Traut Core Elementary School, Werner Elementary School, Kruse Elementary School, O'Dea Elementary School, and Riffenburgh Elementary School on overall ranking. Its chronic absenteeism rate is remarkably low—9.8% in 2024–25 versus 30.7% districtwide—and its student-teacher ratio of 13.9 is favorable. However, science is a clear vulnerability: 5th-grade science proficiency was 47.0%, below the district's 50.4%, and several neighbors like Traut Core (64.4%) and Werner (60.5%) performed much better. Math also lags some peers despite Shepardson having a lower free/reduced lunch rate than Kruse, O'Dea, or Riffenburgh.

Grade-level patterns reveal specific gaps: 3rd-grade ELA proficiency (50.9%) falls below the district rate of 55.9%, and 5th-grade math (49.2%) is below the district's 54.1%. Subgroup data for 2025–26 shows female students at the 73rd percentile statewide, male students at 71st, and gifted/talented students at 81st—but the White-student subgroup rank fell sharply from 83rd to 51st percentile year over year. While Shepardson remains a strong option with excellent attendance and solid instruction, the recent broad decline in test scores—especially the 18-point drop in science—is worth monitoring. It may no longer match top neighbors like Traut Core or Werner, but it remains a competitive choice in Fort Collins.

414

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,118

Per pupil spending ?

24.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1501 Springwood Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525-2927

(970) 488-4525

District: Poudre School District R-1

Students who attend Shepardson Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Fort Collins High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.9%

Hispanic:

9.4%

Two or more races:

5.3%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Shepardson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 92nd percentile in 2025 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (58% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 20% of Colorado elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 92nd-percentile peak (2025) to 80th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg56%

Colorado avg41%

191^st of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^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	78.1	191 of 946	79.8%	★★★★☆
2025	89.5	78 of 950	91.8%	★★★★★
2024	85.0	122 of 943	87.1%	★★★★☆
2023	85.8	109 of 933	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	88.1	86 of 921	90.7%	★★★★★
2021	72.3	214 of 710	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.0	190 of 965	80.3%	★★★★☆
2018	81.4	154 of 917	83.2%	★★★★☆
2017	82.1	141 of 929	84.8%	★★★★☆
2016	69.8	248 of 914	72.9%	★★★★☆
2015	65.9	281 of 938	70.0%	★★★★☆
2014	61.8	370 of 962	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.2	281 of 954	70.5%	★★★★☆
2012	70.5	279 of 935	70.2%	★★★★☆
2011	72.4	253 of 935	72.9%	★★★★☆
2010	67.9	310 of 925	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.9	221 of 872	74.7%	★★★★☆
2008	74.2	207 of 849	75.6%	★★★★☆
2007	78.0	162 of 852	81.0%	★★★★☆
2006	74.9	192 of 829	76.8%	★★★★☆
2005	75.2	208 of 823	74.7%	★★★★☆
2004	85.6	93 of 808	88.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	71.9	184 of 695	73.5%	★★★★☆
2025	80.8	104 of 694	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	73.7	151 of 684	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	155 of 642	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.3	98 of 595	83.5%	★★★★☆
2021	61.3	161 of 351	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.0	196 of 758	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	77.7	120 of 690	82.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	23 of 120	80.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	68.2	203 of 697	70.9%	★★★★☆
2025	86.6	67 of 700	90.4%	★★★★★
2024	81.9	99 of 683	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	82.9	92 of 649	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	85.5	67 of 594	88.7%	★★★★☆
2021	61.5	165 of 352	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.8	165 of 764	78.4%	★★★★☆
2018	73.8	155 of 693	77.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	265 of 547	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	76.9	95 of 551	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	68.5	149 of 539	72.4%	★★★★☆
2022	73.0	107 of 454	76.4%	★★★★☆
2019	87.8	34 of 596	94.3%	★★★★★

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)81st percentile~ school

Female (2026)74th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)71st percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)52nd percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts65%+20 vs state

Math56%+18 vs state

Science47%+11 vs state

4.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Common Core Warning at this elementary. They look poised to fully enact Common Core standards. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Shepardson is a wonderful school with great teachers and a wonderful new principle. The STEM curriculum is very appropriate for today's education and they also boast a full time School Counselor, Angela Mitchell, that the kids LOVE. She spends time in the classroom working on life skills, such as conflict resolution, and positive behavior support. Keep up the great work! Close Quote

Schools Near Shepardson 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
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
Kruse Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4400 McMurry Avenue	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-5625	406	29	14.2	38.9%	266 (65.5%)	5 (1.2%)	101 (24.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.1%)	86.2	115^th of 946 public elementary schools	87.8%		88.5	90^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.5%	25	61.9	67.3	73.1				67.6	54.0	74.0	72.1				66.3	54.4		$18,522
Linton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Caribou Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-5850	307	26	11.6	67.4%	124 (40.4%)	1 (0.3%)	161 (52.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.2%)	25.8	673^rd of 946 public elementary schools	28.9%		22.4	702^nd of 950 public elementary schools	26.1%	29	40.0	28.0	34.0				33.1	36.7	20.0	25.0				25.8	23.4		$21,151
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
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
Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	4800 Wheaton Dr	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 226-2800	240	18	13.7	47.5%	159 (66.3%)	6 (2.5%)	51 (21.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.6%)	26.3	666^th of 946 public elementary schools	29.6%		38.4	541^st of 950 public elementary schools	43.1%	125	21.6	29.4	34.3				28.3	35.1	14.7	29.4				26.7	34.3		$11,858
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
Traut Core Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2515 Timberwood Drive	Fort Collins	80528	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-7500	484	27	17.7	17.4%	308 (63.6%)	3 (0.6%)	50 (10.3%)	90 (18.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (6.2%)	94.6	31^st of 946 public elementary schools	96.7%		95.1	29^th of 950 public elementary schools	96.9%	2	76.1	75.0	87.7				79.6	81.9	66.7	74.0				74.2	64.4		$17,001
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
Lopez Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	637 Wabash Street	Fort Collins	80526	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-8800	361	24	15.1	48.8%	245 (67.9%)	12 (3.3%)	77 (21.3%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	63.9	316^th of 946 public elementary schools	66.6%		62.2	344^th of 950 public elementary schools	63.8%	28	60.5	52.7	62.5				58.0	44.2	47.3	43.6				45.3	35.9		$18,063

Frequently Asked Questions about Shepardson Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Shepardson Elementary School attend?

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

High : Fort Collins High School

How many students attend Shepardson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 414 students attended Shepardson Elementary School.

What district is Shepardson Elementary School in?

Poudre School District R-1

Is Shepardson Elementary School a good school?

Shepardson Elementary School ranks 191^st of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Shepardson Elementary School?

Students at Shepardson Elementary School are 82% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Rate Shepardson Elementary School!

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

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.