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Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

Q: Is Polaris Expeditionary Learning School a good school?

Polaris Expeditionary Learning School ranks 286 th of 950 Colorado alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades K-12

286^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Alternative Schools

Better than 70% of Colorado alternative schools

Summary

Polaris Expeditionary Learning School is an alternative public school located in Fort Collins, Colorado, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 390 students. As part of the Poudre School District R-1, which is ranked 14th out of 115 districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, Polaris stands out for its strong academic performance and unique approach to education.

Polaris Expeditionary Learning School has seen steady improvements in its 4-year graduation rates, increasing from 83.1% in 2022-2023 to 90.6% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the district average of 86.9%. The school also boasts relatively low dropout rates, ranging from 0.9% to 2.1% over the past few years, lower than the district average. In terms of academic achievement, Polaris outperforms the state and district averages in several subject areas and grade levels, with 59.9% of students proficient or better in CMAS/English Language Arts and 35.4% proficient or better in CMAS/Math, compared to the district averages of 60.4% and 52.2%, respectively.

When compared to nearby schools within the Poudre School District, such as Wellington Middle-High School, Timnath Middle-High School, and Liberty Common Charter School, Polaris generally outperforms these schools in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and dropout rates. Additionally, when compared to schools in the Thompson School District, such as Loveland Classical School, Polaris also demonstrates stronger academic performance. The school's unique focus on expeditionary learning may be a key factor in its success, though the high chronic absenteeism rate is an area that the school may need to address.

406

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,720

Per pupil spending ?

26.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1905 Orchard Place
Fort Collins, CO 80521-3210

(970) 488-8260

District: Poudre School District R-1

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.2%

Hispanic:

6.2%

Two or more races:

6.2%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Polaris Expeditionary Learning School to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2022 → 68th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (51% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Above the Colorado median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2022

!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 (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg59%

Colorado avg42%

Elementary school

286^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

116^th of 469

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 25%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 18% (2015) to top 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

105^th of 328

Colorado public high schools ?

Top 32%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to top 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Alternative Schools in the Poudre School District R-1

14^th of 115Poudre 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	68.3	286 of 950	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.5	348 of 943	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.8	310 of 933	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	77.2	191 of 921	79.3%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	316 of 965	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.0	312 of 917	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.2	276 of 929	70.3%	★★★★☆
2016	68.9	256 of 914	72.0%	★★★★☆
2014	63.7	344 of 962	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	51.6	498 of 954	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	65.4	346 of 935	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	34.3	661 of 935	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	43.5	564 of 925	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2022	52.8	218 of 454	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.0	240 of 596	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.1	176 of 337	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	71.4	116 of 469	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	102 of 485	79.0%	★★★★☆
2023	75.3	98 of 480	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	84.2	51 of 448	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	82.2	50 of 369	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	69.7	114 of 458	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.3	112 of 418	73.2%	★★★★☆
2017	67.4	107 of 424	74.8%	★★★★☆
2016	65.7	108 of 400	73.0%	★★★★☆
2015	73.1	78 of 436	82.1%	★★★★☆
2014	75.0	99 of 461	78.5%	★★★★☆
2013	64.6	156 of 454	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	67.0	140 of 425	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.0	217 of 422	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.4	220 of 409	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	70.6	91 of 347	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	60.6	121 of 350	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	122 of 363	66.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	64.5	106 of 352	69.9%	★★★★☆
2024	79.4	57 of 357	84.0%	★★★★☆
2023	60.2	117 of 356	67.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	63.8	83 of 273	69.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.4	51 of 286	82.2%	★★★★☆
2022	68.5	67 of 265	74.7%	★★★★☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	68.8	105 of 328	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.8	79 of 349	77.4%	★★★★☆
2023	66.2	108 of 349	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.8	54 of 221	75.6%	★★★★☆
2021	55.5	88 of 210	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.9	96 of 411	76.6%	★★★★☆
2018	82.1	55 of 388	85.8%	★★★★☆
2017	65.5	44 of 256	82.8%	★★★★☆
2016	76.4	20 of 255	92.2%	★★★★★
2015	46.3	117 of 292	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.7	103 of 369	72.1%	★★★★☆
2013	57.2	159 of 349	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.6	183 of 334	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.8	202 of 337	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.5	205 of 327	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	66.4	80 of 254	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	87.7	26 of 257	89.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	73.3	75 of 252	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	60.7	94 of 253	62.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	86.8	20 of 229	91.3%	★★★★★
2023	67.9	76 of 234	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.3	108 of 228	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.4	128 of 225	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

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

White (2022)52nd percentile-27 vs school

Middle school

Female (2025)74th percentile~ school

Male (2025)70th percentile-5 vs school

White (2024)70th percentile-9 vs school

High school

White (2024)91st percentile+14 vs school

Male (2023)70th percentile~ school

Female (2023)69th percentile~ school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Reading and Writing85%+21 vs state

English Language Arts60%+15 vs state

Mathematics50%+14 vs state

Science42%+7 vs state

Math35%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2025)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2025)	SAT Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	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	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Polaris Expeditionary Learning School	Public, Alternative	K-12	1905 Orchard Place	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-8260	406	27	15.2	26.8%	350 (86.2%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (6.2%)								(n/a)	85.0	50.0	86.0	50.0	72.0	28.0	50.0			65.1	76.7	61.1	59.9	55.6			34.9	30.0	47.2	35.4	47.4	48.6	28.6	$17,720
PSD Global Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	703 East Prospect Road	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	Yes	No	(970) 490-3086	259	23	11.3	49.0%	184 (71.0%)	5 (1.9%)	54 (20.8%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)								(n/a)	70.0	22.0	65.0		71.0								40.3						55.0	40.3		55.0	45.0	$19,823
Ridgeview Classical Schools	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1800 South Lemay Avenue	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 494-4620	721	48	15.0		600 (83.2%)	8 (1.1%)	50 (6.9%)	15 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.7%)								(n/a)	100.0	60.0	94.0	65.0	100.0	70.0	78.3	45.5	67.3	59.7	70.8	62.3	64.2	71.7	52.7	61.8	67.6	47.7	56.9	59.9	47.3	43.4	72.7	$11,065
Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2700 S Lemay Ave	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 545-6650	621	36	17.2		527 (84.9%)	4 (0.6%)	64 (10.3%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.9%)								(n/a)	78.0	50.0					47.5	61.9	38.3	42.1	46.2	46.8	47.4	59.0	42.9	52.5	50.9	26.9	41.3	46.2	31.7	33.3		$10,328
Liberty Common Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1725 Sharp Point Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 482-9800	1,516	78	19.5		1,235 (81.5%)	14 (0.9%)	101 (6.7%)	75 (4.9%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	88 (5.8%)								(n/a)	98.0	88.0	98.0	93.0	98.0	81.0	67.4	76.9	88.9	81.5	78.7	86.8	79.5	62.5	62.7	65.2	68.5	80.5	78.7	68.1	58.2	75.0	76.6	$10,943
Loveland Classical School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3835 SW 14th Street	Loveland	80537	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 541-1507	1,032	61	16.8	22.6%	817 (79.2%)	9 (0.9%)	161 (15.6%)	6 (0.6%)	6 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (3.1%)								(n/a)			92.0	52.0			42.0	51.1	47.1	40.7	56.5	60.7	48.9	47.7	38.6	48.8	38.3	34.8	35.5	41.1	51.8	48.3		$10,299

Frequently Asked Questions about Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

What is the racial makeup of Polaris Expeditionary Learning School?

Students at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School are 86% White, 6% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

Is Polaris Expeditionary Learning School a good school?

Polaris Expeditionary Learning School ranks 286^th of 950 Colorado alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Polaris Expeditionary Learning School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 406 students attended Polaris Expeditionary Learning School.

What district is Polaris Expeditionary Learning School in?

Poudre School District R-1

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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.