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Little Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

792^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Little Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Arvada, Colorado, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 338 students. The school is part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which is ranked 29 out of 115 school districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of a relatively high-performing district, Little Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Colorado elementary schools, with a ranking between 532 and 880 out of 914 to 950 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) tests is significantly below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 15.2% of students proficient or better in CMAS Math, compared to 42.8% for the district and 35.9% for the state. The school also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.3% to 33.6% over the past three school years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in the same district, such as Woodrow Wilson Charter Academy, Warder Elementary, and Hackberry Hill Elementary, generally perform much better than Little Elementary School on academic measures, with higher proficiency rates and higher state rankings. However, these nearby schools also have lower percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may play a significant role in the academic performance of Little Elementary School.

310

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,928

Per pupil spending ?

65.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8448 Otis Drive
Arvada, CO 80003-1242

(303) 982-0310

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.5%

Hispanic:

41.9%

Two or more races:

8.1%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Little Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 39th percentile in 2015 → 17th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (21% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg48%

Colorado avg40%

792^nd of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 22 pts since 2015

From bottom 39% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

29^th of 115Jefferson 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	792 of 950	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	762 of 943	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	880 of 933	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	778 of 921	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.4	658 of 710	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.0	677 of 965	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.4	587 of 917	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.0	589 of 929	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	37.4	532 of 914	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.8	572 of 938	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	33.1	672 of 962	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.4	689 of 954	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	36.5	639 of 935	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.4	565 of 935	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.3	513 of 925	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.6	504 of 872	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	52.7	448 of 849	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	45.7	508 of 852	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.8	463 of 829	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	63.9	327 of 823	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	55.2	397 of 808	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	15.4	580 of 694	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	620 of 684	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	597 of 758	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	522 of 690	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	14.0	320 of 337	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.9	319 of 365	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.5	253 of 332	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.2	139 of 308	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	16.4	581 of 700	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.3	598 of 683	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	571 of 764	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	456 of 693	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	10.4	520 of 551	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	491 of 539	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	435 of 596	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.2	277 of 337	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)17th percentile~ school

Female (2025)16th percentile~ school

White (2025)6th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)5th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts25%-20 vs state

Science24%-15 vs state

Math15%-21 vs state

4.9

7 ratings · 6 written reviews

5★6

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, November 27, 2022

This school has been absolutely amazing. My oldest just spent the last 6 years there and with 2 other kids we will happily be at Little for another 6 years. The staff are all wonderful human beings who truly care about my children. They challenge my children academically when needed, while also offering guidance in areas they may struggle with. More importantly, the staff care for my children's mental health and emotional well being. The personal touches like encouraging notes actually mailed to our house make my kids feel special and seen. Their mental health team is extensive. I know my children are well taken care of. The classrooms offer hands on learning like programing robots, historical reenactments, and arts integration. The teachers will often use the school garden for lessons in science. The best part of this school is the sense of belonging and community. The school is welcoming to all people and strives for inclusivity. The support the parents have for the staff and visa versa is like nothing I have seen at any other school. The amount of care the school has for the surrounding neighborhood and community is unmatched. This school is a hidden gem and deserves as much love as it gives out. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 18, 2019

Top notch teachers who really care about all kids. Extremely good PTSA and community support. Definitely not without challenges but a great neighborhood school with an awesome community garden and tons of extra curricular activities (Talent Show, Robotics Club, Lynx in Action, Garden Club etc.) Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, August 17, 2018

I've had three kids go through Little, and can attest to what a wonderful neighborhood school this is. The administration and teachers are excellent and really care about your student's success. They also have a very active PTSA with lots of parent involvement, and a wonderful community garden that the kids take part in. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 15, 2017

They do great considering the budget available. My kids want to go to school and are doing more than just learning for the state tests. They provide arts and music and the principal is fantastic. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 25, 2017

The teachers and staff at Little are amazing! They work so hard to provide lots of great opportunities for the students. Mr. Lopez is a fantastic principal and leader. He listens to the voice of the parents and had created a welcoming environment for all children.
The teachers are providing the students with critical thinking strategies that will allow them to succeed in life and empower them to be leaders. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, April 24, 2017

I have a now 7th grader went through Little K-6 and 3rd grader that is at Little now. Both of my daughters have been identified as daughter are GT (Gifted and Talented). I recommend Little without hesitation. There is a strong sense of community and a ton of different clubs for the students to join throughout the year. My 3rd grader did Lynx in Action (fitness club), chess club and origami club this year. There is so many to choose from. The teachers are great. I would say without doubt that the 1st grade teaching team is probably close to if not the best in the state. They are AMAZING and many teachers come to learn from them what to do in their classrooms. It has a highly active PTSA that puts on a lot of events for the kids and families and makes improvements to the school. The principal is open to and encourages parent involvement at the school which adds to that community feel. Has an upgraded big playground and onsite community garden. Also has great diversity with many cultures and different economic backgrounds. It's worth a visit. Close Quote

Schools Near Little Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Little Elementary School	Public	K-5	8448 Otis Drive	Arvada	80003	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-0310	310	21	14.9	65.2%	144 (46.5%)	3 (1.0%)	130 (41.9%)	6 (1.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.1%)	16.1	792^nd of 950 public elementary schools	16.6%		18.4	762^nd of 943 public elementary schools	19.2%	30	15.9	29.1	27.3				24.8	18.6	7.3	19.7				15.2	24.2		$17,928
Colorado Preparatory Academy Elementary School	Public, Virtual	K-5	8601 Turnpike Dr. Suite 100	Westminster	80031	Adams County	Education Reenvisioned BOCES	No	No	Yes	No	(720) 381-2047	933	31	29.6		337 (36.1%)	78 (8.4%)	404 (43.3%)	10 (1.1%)	10 (1.1%)	9 (1.0%)	85 (9.1%)	22.2	705^th of 950 public elementary schools	25.8%		24.6	682^nd of 943 public elementary schools	27.7%	23	29.2	29.6	35.0				31.0	20.8	11.1	35.0				21.1	19.0		$9,682
Adams Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6450 West 95th Place	Westminster	80021	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-9790	310	17	18.1	41.9%	156 (50.3%)	9 (2.9%)	110 (35.5%)	13 (4.2%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)	27.5	639^th of 950 public elementary schools	32.7%		25.6	667^th of 943 public elementary schools	29.3%	28	10.3	54.5	32.1				31.0	15.8	36.4	17.9				23.2	25.0		$16,851
Weber Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8725 West 81st Place	Arvada	80005	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-1012	312	22	14.2	41.3%	195 (62.5%)	2 (0.6%)	90 (28.8%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	19 (6.1%)	39.7	528^th of 950 public elementary schools	44.4%		50	449^th of 943 public elementary schools	52.4%	79	34.1	31.7	45.2				36.2	47.7	33.3	20.7				35.7	35.5		$16,949
Semper Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7575 West 96th Avenue	Westminster	80021	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-6460	314	18	17.4	45.2%	155 (49.4%)	3 (1.0%)	109 (34.7%)	24 (7.6%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (5.1%)	31.9	598^th of 950 public elementary schools	37.1%		24.4	686^th of 943 public elementary schools	27.3%	88	35.1	9.1	44.4				31.3			26.7				20.2	35.6		$17,546
Hackberry Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	7300 West 76th Avenue	Arvada	80003	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-0260	430	24	17.8	34.7%	274 (63.7%)	4 (0.9%)	122 (28.4%)	6 (1.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	77.7	201^st of 950 public elementary schools	78.8%		75.7	203^rd of 943 public elementary schools	78.5%	2	65.2	55.0	65.7				62.0	62.0	45.7	50.7				53.3	55.7		$15,547
Woodrow Wilson Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	8300 W 94th Avenue	Westminster	80021	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 431-3694	518	32	16.0	17.2%	370 (71.4%)	3 (0.6%)	108 (20.8%)	12 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.8%)	79.4	183^rd of 950 public elementary schools	80.7%		60.6	360^th of 943 public elementary schools	61.8%	177	61.8	60.4	69.6	55.1	64.8	44.2	60.0	63.6	45.3	60.7	44.9	57.4	58.1	55.2	59.6	48.8	$8,047
Warder Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7840 Carr Drive	Arvada	80005	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-0950	432	26	16.6	22.5%	310 (71.8%)	1 (0.2%)	95 (22.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.3%)	67	301^st of 950 public elementary schools	68.3%		70.3	260^th of 943 public elementary schools	72.4%	41	50.7	45.1	65.1				54.1	62.7	36.7	39.7				47.5	54.0		$15,043
John E. Flynn A Marzano Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	8731 Lowell Boulevard	Westminster	80031	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(303) 428-2161	354	20	17.2	76.0%	70 (19.8%)	2 (0.6%)	246 (69.5%)	26 (7.3%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	16.8	778^th of 950 public elementary schools	18.1%		27.6	641^st of 943 public elementary schools	32.0%	137	16.7	17.9	22.5	35.3	50.0	25.6	27.6	16.7	25.6	20.0		21.9		15.9	17.5	15.4	$18,054
Jefferson Academy Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	9955 Yarrow Street	Broomfield	80021	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 438-1011	737	46	15.8	17.6%	545 (73.9%)	12 (1.6%)	98 (13.3%)	30 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.1%)	81.2	161^st of 950 public elementary schools	83.1%		79.3	173^rd of 943 public elementary schools	81.7%	12	55.6	59.6	61.6	77.8			63.8	58.6	55.3	50.5	70.0			58.6	55.4		$11,472

Frequently Asked Questions about Little Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Little Elementary School attend?

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

High : Pomona Junior/Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Little Elementary School?

Students at Little Elementary School are 46% White, 42% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Little Elementary School a good school?

Little Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.6% of Colorado elementary schools.

What district is Little Elementary School in?

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

How many students attend Little Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 310 students attended Little Elementary School.

Rate Little Elementary School!

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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.