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Mitchell Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

54^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Mitchell Elementary School is a K–5 elementary school in Golden, Colorado, serving 478 students and operating as part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1. The school is a top performer statewide, ranking 54th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools for 2025–2026 — placing it in the 94th percentile with a 5-star rating. That puts Mitchell among the very best elementary schools in Colorado, though it sits within an unusually strong cluster of nearby schools: Ralston Elementary School (97th percentile), Kyffin Elementary School (96th), and Fairmount Elementary School (94th) are all close by and just as competitive.

Academically, Mitchell far exceeds district and state averages. In English Language Arts, 76.6% of students are proficient, compared with 53.7% for the district and 44.7% statewide. Science is a particular standout, with 72.6% proficiency — well above every nearby peer except Ralston (80.0%), and far ahead of schools like Fairmount (54.2%) and Maple Grove Elementary School (53.6%). Math, however, is the relative soft spot: 66.0% proficiency is still far above the district (44.6%) and state (37.3%), but it trails Ralston (73.6%), Kyffin (72.8%), and Fairmount (74.8%). That said, Mitchell's 5th graders post strong cumulative results, with 86.9% proficiency in ELA and math improving from 3rd to 5th grade.

Beyond test scores, Mitchell benefits from very low chronic absenteeism (9.5% versus 26.6% districtwide) and a low free/reduced lunch rate of 11.1%. One thing for parents to note is that Mitchell has the highest student-to-teacher ratio (19.8) among its nearby peers, despite still achieving excellent outcomes. The school's statewide rank has eased from #20 in 2022–2023 to #54 in 2025–2026, driven largely by a decline in math proficiency, so this is an area to watch. The gifted and talented subgroup is less differentiated relative to the school's overall rank. Even so, Mitchell remains an elite, 5-star elementary school with strong literacy, science, and overall outcomes.

478

Students ?

19.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,244

Per pupil spending ?

11.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 Rubey Drive
Golden, CO 80403-2453

(303) 982-5874

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Students who attend Mitchell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bell Middle School
High:	Golden High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.3%

Hispanic:

7.1%

Two or more races:

4.2%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Mitchell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 94th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (71% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of Colorado elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg49%

Colorado avg41%

54^th of 943

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

24^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
2026	92.1	54 of 943	94.3%	★★★★★
2025	93.8	37 of 950	96.1%	★★★★★
2024	96.1	21 of 943	97.8%	★★★★★
2023	96.3	20 of 933	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	95.4	24 of 921	97.4%	★★★★★
2021	91.1	57 of 710	92.0%	★★★★★
2019	89.3	83 of 965	91.4%	★★★★★
2018	90.8	62 of 917	93.2%	★★★★★
2017	92.7	49 of 929	94.7%	★★★★★
2016	89.0	75 of 914	91.8%	★★★★★
2015	90.6	70 of 938	92.5%	★★★★★
2014	86.5	93 of 962	90.3%	★★★★★
2013	83.2	132 of 954	86.2%	★★★★☆
2012	79.0	169 of 935	81.9%	★★★★☆
2011	84.8	115 of 935	87.7%	★★★★☆
2010	81.8	146 of 925	84.2%	★★★★☆
2009	75.4	202 of 872	76.8%	★★★★☆
2008	74.3	205 of 849	75.9%	★★★★☆
2007	71.1	250 of 852	70.7%	★★★★☆
2006	72.4	231 of 829	72.1%	★★★★☆
2005	68.5	273 of 823	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	72.3	228 of 808	71.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	90.7	34 of 692	95.1%	★★★★★
2025	88.1	56 of 694	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	90.6	35 of 684	94.9%	★★★★★
2023	91.3	34 of 642	94.7%	★★★★★
2022	88.5	47 of 595	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	85.9	50 of 351	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	86.7	68 of 758	91.0%	★★★★★
2018	86.0	63 of 690	90.9%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	65.5	45 of 120	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.3	50 of 119	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.0	18 of 91	80.2%	★★★★☆
2023	70.7	22 of 82	73.2%	★★★★☆
2022	64.8	10 of 22	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.8	81 of 110	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	64.0	31 of 84	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	89 of 694	87.2%	★★★★☆
2025	90.6	42 of 700	94.0%	★★★★★
2024	95.3	19 of 683	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	94.7	18 of 649	97.2%	★★★★★
2022	93.9	19 of 594	96.8%	★★★★★
2021	87.3	45 of 352	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	83.6	95 of 764	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	87.5	66 of 693	90.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	80.9	65 of 546	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	86.2	40 of 551	92.7%	★★★★★
2024	91.0	22 of 539	95.9%	★★★★★
2023	90.4	30 of 525	94.3%	★★★★★
2022	88.8	30 of 454	93.4%	★★★★★
2021	77.5	61 of 288	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.7	94 of 596	84.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2026)95th percentile~ school

White (2026)88th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)87th percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)62nd percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts77%+32 vs state

Science73%+36 vs state

Math66%+29 vs state

2.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Our experience at Mitchell was defined by two things: fantastic teachers and a deeply concerning Principal. The quality of the educators and the friendships my child made are the only reasons we did not leave sooner. Unfortunately, Janelle Nelson Gardner’s leadership has had a damaging effect. She has driven out excellent teachers, and her communication is always evasive and noncommittal. Most troubling was her handling of a severe, prolonged bullying issue. She showed an alarming lack of action and was more concerned with protecting the bullies than the students being targeted. It took a unified effort from a group of parents escalating the issue to her supervisor to see any kind of response. This unacceptable stance on student safety is why many families have left the school. Jeffco schools have maintained a reputation for excellence in academics, social environment, and administration. Unfortunately, Mitchell has deviated from this standard with Janelle at the top. Close Quote

Schools Near Mitchell 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	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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Mitchell Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 Rubey Drive	Golden	80403	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-5874	478	24	19.8	11.1%	403 (84.3%)	4 (0.8%)	34 (7.1%)	16 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.2%)	92.1	54^th of 943 public elementary schools	94.3%		93.8	37^th of 950 public elementary schools	96.1%	17	71.2	71.3	86.9	76.6	61.6	66.7	69.0	66.0	72.6	$16,244
Shelton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	420 Crawford Street	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-5686	394	28	14.2	36.8%	265 (67.3%)	3 (0.8%)	90 (22.8%)	17 (4.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)	55.1	399^th of 943 public elementary schools	57.7%		68.9	277^th of 950 public elementary schools	70.8%	122	46.9	45.9	48.1	47.0	47.6	47.5	37.2	43.6	40.5	$17,852
Fairmount Elementary School	Public	K-5	15975 West 50th Avenue	Golden	80403	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-5422	601	33	18.2	7.8%	514 (85.5%)	3 (0.5%)	44 (7.3%)	10 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.8%)	92.1	52^nd of 943 public elementary schools	94.5%		90.6	69^th of 950 public elementary schools	92.7%	17	72.0	82.9	67.5	74.8	78.5	76.3	67.9	74.8	54.2	$16,432
Free Horizon Montessori	Public	PK, KG-8	15920 W 10th Ave	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-5921	382	21	18.3	24.1%	285 (74.6%)	1 (0.3%)	64 (16.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.1%)	48.8	441^st of 943 public elementary schools	53.2%		46.4	475^th of 950 public elementary schools	50.0%	34	35.5	44.4	50.0	42.0	35.5	38.9	41.2	36.2	44.1	$17,299
Maple Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3085 Alkire Street	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-5808	390	23	16.8	13.6%	335 (85.9%)	2 (0.5%)	37 (9.5%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.1%)	86.3	113^th of 943 public elementary schools	88.0%		87.2	109^th of 950 public elementary schools	88.5%	4	58.5	70.6	80.0	70.7	64.2	66.7	57.1	62.5	53.6	$15,929
Ralston Elementary School	Public	K-5	25856 Columbine Glen	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-4386	289	17	17.1	3.1%	243 (84.1%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (6.2%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.3%)	95.1	26^th of 943 public elementary schools	97.2%		95.4	25^th of 950 public elementary schools	97.4%	1	77.6	76.2	87.0	80.1	64.9	73.8	84.4	73.6	80.0	$18,181
Kyffin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 North Flora Way	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-5760	503	29	17.5	10.5%	406 (80.7%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.9%)	14 (2.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.0%)	93.5	40^th of 943 public elementary schools	95.8%		95.3	28^th of 950 public elementary schools	97.1%	12	78.0	74.4	81.4	78.0	68.7	67.9	81.2	72.8	61.9	$17,291
West Woods Elementary School	Public	K-5	16650 West 72nd Avenue	Arvada	80007	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-5649	542	31	17.6	3.9%	457 (84.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.8%)	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.5%)	90.4	68^th of 943 public elementary schools	92.8%		92	53^rd of 950 public elementary schools	94.4%	15	74.0	83.2	77.6	78.3	79.2	58.9	53.5	64.3	64.0	$17,535
Welchester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13000 West 10th Avenue	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-7342	293	19	15.2	72.4%	154 (52.6%)	15 (5.1%)	102 (34.8%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (5.1%)	46.7	457^th of 943 public elementary schools	51.5%		39.3	532^nd of 950 public elementary schools	44.0%	75	43.6	33.3	59.4	44.2	38.5	19.0	53.1	35.4	40.6	$19,432
Stober Elementary School	Public	K-5	2300 Urban Street	Lakewood	80215	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-7610	348	22	15.8	27.6%	242 (69.5%)	2 (0.6%)	79 (22.7%)	7 (2.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.6%)	72.9	229^th of 943 public elementary schools	75.7%		68.4	283^rd of 950 public elementary schools	70.2%	54	51.2	65.6	63.8	61.3	53.7	48.3	45.8	48.8	52.5	$18,053

Frequently Asked Questions about Mitchell Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Mitchell Elementary School?

Students at Mitchell Elementary School are 84% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Mitchell Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Mitchell Elementary School ranks in the top 5.7% of Colorado elementary schools.

How many students attend Mitchell Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 478 students attended Mitchell Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Mitchell Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Bell Middle School
High : Golden High School

What district is Mitchell Elementary School in?

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresNewAug 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.