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Bear Creek K-8 School

Q: Is Bear Creek K-8 School a good school?

Bear Creek K-8 School ranks 664 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

664^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Bear Creek K-8 School is a large K-8 school in Lakewood, CO, serving 863 students in grades K-8 within the Jefferson County School District R-1. The school has declined steadily over the past decade, falling from consistent 3-star ratings (52nd–60th percentile) between 2015 and 2019 to its current 1-star rating and 30th-percentile ranking statewide. About half of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (50.5% in 2024-25).

Academically, Bear Creek K-8 School trails district and state averages in nearly every subject. In 2025-26, only 37.7% of Bear Creek students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared with 53.7% district-wide and 44.7% statewide. Math is a particularly urgent concern: just 24.8% of students scored proficient, versus 44.6% for the district and 37.3% for the state. Chronic absenteeism is also high at 30.8%, far above nearby high-performing schools like Devinny Elementary School (6.6%) and Rooney Ranch Elementary School (7.5%). That said, Bear Creek performs better than the lowest-performing nearby schools, including Westgate Elementary School (ELA 16.7%, Math 13.8%), putting it in the lower-middle tier of its local cluster.

There are a few encouraging signs. Middle-grade students fare notably better than elementary students: 8th-grade ELA (45.4% proficient) and science (34.6%) are close to state averages, while 5th-grade science lags far behind (22.6%). Math, however, remains low at every grade level, from 19.2% in 6th grade to 26.3% in 3rd. Subgroup results are also uneven: Hispanic students rank in the 43rd percentile statewide compared with their peers, while White students rank in the bottom 2% of schools statewide. For parents, the picture is mixed: the middle school years may offer a relatively stronger experience, but chronic absenteeism and elementary math instruction are clear areas needing attention.

863

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,889

Per pupil spending ?

50.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

9601 West Dartmouth Place
Lakewood, CO 80227-4409

(303) 982-8714

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Students who attend Bear Creek K-8 School usually attend:

Middle:	Carmody Middle School
High:	Bear Creek High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.3%

White:

39.6%

Asian:

7.3%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Bear Creek K-8 School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (31% vs 40% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 28% Colorado)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg49%

Colorado avg40%

Elementary school

664^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

236^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 30% (2016) to top 50% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

74^th of 84Elementary Schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1

24^th of 114Jefferson County School District No. 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
2026	26.6	664 of 946	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.5	592 of 950	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	556 of 943	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.3	515 of 933	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.2	504 of 921	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.6	472 of 710	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.3	465 of 965	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	380 of 917	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.0	372 of 929	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.0	434 of 914	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	57.6	352 of 938	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.1	291 of 962	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	68.0	306 of 954	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.5	295 of 935	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.4	353 of 935	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	74.7	214 of 925	76.9%	★★★★☆
2009	78.6	167 of 872	80.8%	★★★★☆
2008	78.8	152 of 849	82.1%	★★★★☆
2007	83.9	97 of 852	88.6%	★★★★☆
2006	86.8	72 of 829	91.3%	★★★★★
2005	87.5	63 of 823	92.3%	★★★★★
2004	91.6	31 of 808	96.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	20.0	556 of 695	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.7	455 of 694	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.8	468 of 684	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.0	426 of 642	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	404 of 595	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.7	288 of 351	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.1	349 of 758	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.9	313 of 690	54.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	143 of 251	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.6	146 of 247	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.3	166 of 242	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.0	109 of 197	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.3	57 of 153	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	78.9	6 of 30	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	47.4	125 of 270	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	54 of 172	68.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	32.4	236 of 322	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	46.3	171 of 337	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.5	249 of 365	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	177 of 265	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.2	115 of 203	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.1	63 of 75	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.3	129 of 332	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.2	103 of 308	66.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	22.3	537 of 697	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.6	527 of 700	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	488 of 683	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.0	425 of 649	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	376 of 594	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.4	302 of 352	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.3	451 of 764	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.9	360 of 693	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	6.6	534 of 547	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	19.8	473 of 551	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	444 of 539	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.6	452 of 525	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.0	402 of 454	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.0	282 of 288	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	40.5	360 of 596	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.3	160 of 337	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	41.0	236 of 476	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.2	236 of 469	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	232 of 485	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.3	233 of 480	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.4	176 of 448	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.7	184 of 369	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.3	230 of 458	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	155 of 418	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	68.7	105 of 424	75.2%	★★★★☆
2016	63.6	120 of 400	70.0%	★★★★☆
2015	65.1	116 of 436	73.4%	★★★★☆
2014	82.4	65 of 461	85.9%	★★★★☆
2013	78.7	74 of 454	83.7%	★★★★☆
2012	82.3	60 of 425	85.9%	★★★★☆
2011	83.7	48 of 422	88.6%	★★★★☆
2010	88.1	30 of 409	92.7%	★★★★★
2009	91.5	17 of 377	95.5%	★★★★★
2008	90.6	18 of 362	95.0%	★★★★★
2007	91.5	19 of 360	94.7%	★★★★★
2006	93.3	11 of 346	96.8%	★★★★★
2005	93.7	11 of 340	96.8%	★★★★★
2004	94.0	9 of 336	97.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	40.2	194 of 368	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.7	196 of 347	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.9	193 of 350	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.8	194 of 363	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.9	164 of 326	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.2	139 of 254	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.1	157 of 352	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.6	77 of 315	75.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	102 of 208	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.3	106 of 218	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.4	90 of 199	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.9	110 of 198	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.6	76 of 169	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.3	91 of 220	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	60 of 165	63.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	55.4	73 of 231	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.7	51 of 241	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	57.2	74 of 244	69.7%	★★★★☆
2023	52.9	86 of 241	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.9	61 of 197	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.5	61 of 114	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.4	51 of 240	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	65.8	48 of 222	78.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	31.1	233 of 372	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.1	224 of 352	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	171 of 357	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.3	190 of 356	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.9	121 of 328	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.0	142 of 249	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.7	206 of 343	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.7	152 of 317	52.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	12.5	252 of 278	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.6	210 of 275	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.2	200 of 273	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.9	169 of 286	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.0	125 of 265	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.7	84 of 203	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.8	195 of 283	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.3	90 of 199	54.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Hispanic (2026)43rd percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)27th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)23rd percentile-7 vs school

Female (2026)20th percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)2nd percentile-27 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)68th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)51st percentile~ school

Female (2026)47th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)37th percentile-13 vs school

White (2026)9th percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts38%-7 vs state

Science29%-6 vs state

Math25%-12 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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4★0

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Monday, December 7, 2015

We have three kids currently attending Bear Creek K8, and one who moved up to the high school two years ago. In the 10+ years that we have been involved with the bear creek community (so far) I have to say that, for the most part, we are very happy. MOST of the staff truly want to be there and really care, but there have been a couple that we didn't care for. The key here is to be involved and informed. As a parent, you have to be doing your part by checking folders, checking your students' work and using your resources to be engaged. Close Quote

Schools Near Bear Creek K-8 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Bear Creek K-8 School	Public	K-8	9601 West Dartmouth Place	Lakewood	80227	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-8714	863	50	17.2	50.5%	342 (39.6%)	12 (1.4%)	400 (46.3%)	63 (7.3%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.4%)	26.6	664^th of 946 public elementary schools	29.8%		32.5	592^nd of 950 public elementary schools	37.7%	72	29.3	33.3	29.8	40.4	43.2	45.4	37.7	26.3	21.2	31.0	19.2	26.3	25.9	24.8	22.6	34.6	$16,889
Westgate Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8550 West Vassar Drive	Lakewood	80227	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-9130	305	21	14.4	68.9%	107 (35.1%)	12 (3.9%)	145 (47.5%)	13 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (8.5%)	9.9	888^th of 946 public elementary schools	6.1%		10.8	872^nd of 950 public elementary schools	8.2%	16	9.5	19.6	19.6				16.7	14.0	10.9	16.1				13.8	18.2		$19,442
Green Gables Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8701 West Woodard Drive	Lakewood	80227	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-8314	315	20	15.8	33.7%	198 (62.9%)	6 (1.9%)	87 (27.6%)	10 (3.2%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.5%)	49.8	435^th of 946 public elementary schools	54.0%		37.5	551^st of 950 public elementary schools	42.0%	116	29.5	54.5	60.9				49.0	29.5	43.6	40.4				38.4	32.6		$17,402
Addenbrooke Classical Grammar School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	7114 West Jefferson Avenue	Lakewood	80235	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 986-5791	774	45	17.1	—	477 (61.6%)	10 (1.3%)	235 (30.4%)	27 (3.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (3.0%)	51.4	425^th of 946 public elementary schools	55.1%		64.4	321^st of 950 public elementary schools	66.2%	104	36.5	39.4	53.2	41.5	50.7	37.9	42.7	44.8	42.6	39.5	38.9	19.4	31.8	37.2	40.0	12.5	$9,284
Kendrick Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 South Hoyt Street	Lakewood	80232	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-8324	443	26	17.3	30.0%	265 (59.8%)	15 (3.4%)	127 (28.7%)	15 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.3%)	69.4	272^nd of 946 public elementary schools	71.2%		63.2	332^nd of 950 public elementary schools	65.1%	60	61.0	56.9	65.5				61.1	57.4	50.9	37.3				48.6	39.7		$16,677
Traylor Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 South Ivan Way	Denver	80227	Jefferson County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-3480	300	20	14.9	66.3%	32 (10.7%)	11 (3.7%)	232 (77.3%)	12 (4.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)	23.1	695^th of 946 public elementary schools	26.5%		10.3	882^nd of 950 public elementary schools	7.2%	187	41.4	30.0	21.9				30.9	30.3	709.0	710.0				15.1	9.4		$19,615
Patterson International School	Public	PK, KG-6	1263 South Dudley Street	Lakewood	80232	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-8470	346	23	15.0	52.3%	127 (36.7%)	0 (0.0%)	178 (51.4%)	29 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.5%)	31.4	607^th of 946 public elementary schools	35.8%		49.9	442^nd of 950 public elementary schools	53.5%	165	723.0	41.7	30.8				30.0	724.0	30.6	38.5				26.9	17.1		$19,028
Devinny Elementary School	Public	K-5	1725 South Wright Street	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-9200	505	28	18.0	13.7%	385 (76.2%)	1 (0.2%)	68 (13.5%)	14 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.1%)	92.4	49^th of 946 public elementary schools	94.8%		88.7	87^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.8%	38	77.6	88.9	68.6				78.5	78.8	76.9	62.8				72.9	58.1		$16,482
Hutchinson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12900 West Utah Avenue	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-9561	328	22	14.7	23.5%	255 (77.7%)	3 (0.9%)	45 (13.7%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (5.5%)	76.3	208^th of 946 public elementary schools	78.0%		74.8	228^th of 950 public elementary schools	76.0%	20	51.1	75.0	60.5				62.5	55.6	58.8	52.3				55.7	44.2		$17,175
Rooney Ranch Elementary School	Public	K-5	2200 South Coors Street	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-9620	492	29	16.8	7.3%	404 (82.1%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (11.0%)	13 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.1%)	90.6	64^th of 946 public elementary schools	93.2%		89.1	82^nd of 950 public elementary schools	91.4%	18	73.0	76.4	75.6				75.1	63.5	68.5	62.2				64.8	62.2		$17,139

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Creek K-8 School

Is Bear Creek K-8 School a good school?

Bear Creek K-8 School ranks 664^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Bear Creek K-8 School?

Students at Bear Creek K-8 School are 46% Hispanic, 40% White, 7% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Bear Creek K-8 School attend?

Students who attend Bear Creek K-8 School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carmody Middle School
High : Bear Creek High School

What district is Bear Creek K-8 School in?

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

How many students attend Bear Creek K-8 School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 863 students attended Bear Creek K-8 School.

Rate Bear Creek K-8 School!

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataOct 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.