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Peak Expeditionary - Pennington

Q: Is Peak Expeditionary - Pennington a good school?

Peak Expeditionary - Pennington ranks 358 th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

358^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Peak Expeditionary - Pennington is an elementary school located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, serving 296 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which is ranked 29th out of 115 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Peak Expeditionary - Pennington has consistently performed better than the state average in CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) tests across various subjects and grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, 48.5% of students were proficient or better in CMAS English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 44.8%, and 45.5% were proficient or better in CMAS Math, compared to the state average of 35.9%. The school's 5th-grade CMAS Science proficiency rate of 45.5% was also higher than the state average of 39%. However, the school's performance among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds is relatively lower, ranking 209th out of 337 Colorado elementary schools in 2024-2025.

Compared to nearby schools, Peak Expeditionary - Pennington generally outperforms Lawrence Elementary, Arvada K-8, and Stevens Elementary in terms of test scores and overall school rankings. However, Prospect Valley Elementary and Vanderhoof Elementary, also within the Jefferson County School District, have consistently higher test scores and rankings than Peak Expeditionary - Pennington. Additionally, the school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.3% to 27.7% in recent years, which is higher than the district and state averages.

316

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,861

Per pupil spending ?

40.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4645 Independence Street
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-2952

(303) 982-2083

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Students who attend Peak Expeditionary - Pennington usually attend:

Middle:	Everitt Middle School
High:	Wheat Ridge High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.2%

Hispanic:

33.5%

Two or more races:

6.6%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Peak Expeditionary - Pennington to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 70th percentile in 2022 → 62nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (47% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Above the Colorado median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 70th-percentile peak (2022) to 62nd (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg48%

Colorado avg40%

358^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 47 pts since 2015

From bottom 15% (2015) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

46^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	60.1	358 of 950	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.0	296 of 943	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	415 of 933	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.9	278 of 921	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.6	471 of 710	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.9	596 of 965	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	18.7	755 of 929	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.8	798 of 938	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	5.4	947 of 962	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.0	927 of 954	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	18.1	781 of 935	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	12.4	825 of 935	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	17.5	780 of 925	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	12.3	779 of 872	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	9.3	777 of 849	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	15.7	737 of 852	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	27.3	640 of 829	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	32.7	594 of 823	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	40.8	517 of 808	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	37.9	209 of 337	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	57.9	222 of 551	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	218 of 539	59.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2025)60th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)38th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts48%+4 vs state

Science46%+6 vs state

Math46%+10 vs state

4.3

6 ratings · 5 written reviews

5★5

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 11, 2021

A focus on experiences that go along with classroom learning means kids are retaining more of what they learn and learn to use it in the real world. The teachers are all so happy and have an amazing school culture which I personally believe leads to a healthy school environment. Any issue I have ever had was met with answered phone calls, returned emails and in person conversations within 24 hours not just from teachers but from the assistant principal and principal himself. They are the only school in the state with a bike park on school grounds and a focus on spending as much time as possible learning outside on their large piece of property. We care very much about a diverse environment and their commitment to keeping the school a diverse environment is a huge draw for us. Lastly their constant focus on social emotional development brings me so much hope for this generation of kids. With widespread anxiety, depression and disconnection on the rise for kids I fully believe a focus in empathy and respect is vital learning. Peak does such a wonderful job focusing on these areas. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, February 5, 2021

Note: This school was reorganized in 2018 and moved forward as Peak Expeditionary, reviews from Pennington are no longer accurate or valid.
We looked at several schools before choosing Peak Expeditionary for our daughter to start Kindergarten. We were looking for a school that focused on allowing kids to explore, have choices, and had a blend of academics and experiences. We put in for Peak and when we were accepted, we jumped at the chance. Our experience has been amazing so far. The way the whole staff has welcomed our daughter, but also the whole family has been appreciated. They have handled the pandemic with grace and I have been so pleased with both the in-person learning and the remote options. Our kiddo is outside for several hours during the day and was even able to go on a field trip this year. Her teachers are always welcoming and make her feel valued at school. Communication from the principal, her classroom teacher, the para support, the front office, the clinic aide - all have been pleasent, responsive, and kind. We are so excited to be a part of the CREW at Peak! We hope to see this school grow and become a K-8!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, February 5, 2021

We started out my daughter’s kindergarten year in the middle of a pandemic. I could not be prouder of how Peak handled the challenge of teaching young kiddos in a remote environment, and the thought they put into in-person learning to keep it safe for everyone was beyond my expectations. They push my daughter to excel in everything she does, including developing her character and building her confidence. Even online, they maintained an interactive curriculum that encouraged discovery and exploration. The balance between digital work and hands-on work was perfectly balanced, as is their emphasis on outdoor education and activities.

I knew I was going to like Peak when I registered my daughter a year ago I didn’t know I was going to love it. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Peak Expeditionary School is new as of 2018 and comments from Pennington do not apply! This school is amazing! Colorado to the core, adventure trips, field experiences and a staff that truly loves all kids. We couldn’t be happier at Peak! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, November 30, 2017

School has gone downhill and lost more students each year my daughter went there(3yrs). Many behavioral issues with students which disrupts teaching on a several times daily basis. My daughter transferred to another Jeff Co. School this year and was found to be behind in almost every subject, Pennington grades were good but as a whole the teaching was behind where grade level should be at that point in the school year which is concerning since my daughter is struggling to catch up in new school so she can be at the level they are currently teaching . Staff at Pennington gets smaller every year and overall participation w/ community and family has gone downhill as well. Front office staff has changed and definitely not for the better, not very helpful most of the time and one person consistently very rude no matter what the interaction. I strongly advise checking out alternatives before sending your child to Pennington, it will not be in their best interest. Close Quote

Schools Near Peak Expeditionary - Pennington

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
Peak Expeditionary - Pennington	Public	PK, KG-5	4645 Independence Street	Wheat Ridge	80033	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-2083	316	18	17.6	40.5%	184 (58.2%)	4 (1.3%)	106 (33.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.6%)	60.1	358^th of 950 public elementary schools	62.3%		67	296^th of 943 public elementary schools	68.6%	62	36.7	51.9	60.6				48.5	42.9	46.2	48.5				45.5	45.5		$15,861
Compass Montessori - Wheat Ridge Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	10399 West 44th Avenue	Wheat Ridge	80033	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 420-8288	288	17	17.3		234 (81.3%)	3 (1.0%)	23 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.7%)	39	538^th of 950 public elementary schools	43.4%		41.2	511^th of 943 public elementary schools	45.8%	27		29.2	40.9				44.3	50.0	29.2					32.5	31.8		$12,447
Mountain Phoenix Community School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4725 Miller Street	Wheat Ridge	80033	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 728-9100	533	43	12.5	27.8%	407 (76.4%)	1 (0.2%)	85 (15.9%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.2%)	45.5	484^th of 950 public elementary schools	49.1%		50.9	438^th of 943 public elementary schools	53.6%	46	46.5	50.0	42.0	57.8	62.8	50.0	51.3	25.0	29.4	33.3	23.9	31.8	42.9	30.9	40.0	57.1	$10,734
Prospect Valley Elementary School	Public	K-5	3400 Pierson Street	Wheat Ridge	80033	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-7535	583	33	17.8	29.3%	425 (72.9%)	4 (0.7%)	113 (19.4%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	30 (5.1%)	72.3	254^th of 950 public elementary schools	73.3%		75.4	208^th of 943 public elementary schools	77.9%	46	56.5	54.5	67.4				59.2	54.3	39.4	48.3				47.0	59.3		$16,010
Lawrence Elementary School	Public	K-5	5611 Zephyr Street	Arvada	80002	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-1825	412	26	15.7	73.8%	156 (37.9%)	9 (2.2%)	214 (51.9%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.6%)	35	572^nd of 950 public elementary schools	39.8%		30.3	611^th of 943 public elementary schools	35.2%	39	42.2	28.8	39.1				37.2	42.4	35.8	26.6				35.0	15.6		$16,726
Stevens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4001 Reed Street	Wheat Ridge	80033	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-2198	469	36	13.0	65.9%	216 (46.1%)	10 (2.1%)	223 (47.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (3.2%)	16.7	784^th of 950 public elementary schools	17.5%		13.2	832^nd of 943 public elementary schools	11.8%	48	25.0	23.1	30.6				26.3	20.9	13.8	16.7				17.2	22.5		$17,431
Foster Dual Language Pk-8	Public	PK, KG-8	5300 Saulsbury Court	Arvada	80002	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-1680	454	28	15.9	50.2%	86 (18.9%)	0 (0.0%)	345 (76.0%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	32.7	590^th of 950 public elementary schools	37.9%		25.2	673^rd of 943 public elementary schools	28.6%	83	48.5		30.8	32.7	43.9		34.1	37.5	27.1		20.0	23.9		23.5	27.3		$16,695
Vanderhoof Elementary School	Public	K-5	5875 Routt Court	Arvada	80004	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-2744	403	29	14.0	36.7%	258 (64.0%)	6 (1.5%)	89 (22.1%)	21 (5.2%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.2%)	58.6	375^th of 950 public elementary schools	60.5%		58.1	380^th of 943 public elementary schools	59.7%	5	63.6	52.4	47.1				53.7	57.9	31.3	36.6				41.1	41.4		$15,631
Slater Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8605 West 23rd Avenue	Lakewood	80215	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-7575	280	22	12.8	72.5%	79 (28.2%)	10 (3.6%)	172 (61.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.1%)	14.2	817^th of 950 public elementary schools	14.0%		24.5	683^rd of 943 public elementary schools	27.6%	134	20.6	14.8	27.0				21.4	8.6	18.5	18.9				15.2	24.3		$20,094
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%)	68.4	283^rd of 950 public elementary schools	70.2%		71.2	246^th of 943 public elementary schools	73.9%	37	48.6	62.7	67.4				58.1	44.9	42.3	45.7				44.3	57.8		$16,469

Frequently Asked Questions about Peak Expeditionary - Pennington

Is Peak Expeditionary - Pennington a good school?

Peak Expeditionary - Pennington ranks 358^th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Peak Expeditionary - Pennington in?

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

What schools do graduates of Peak Expeditionary - Pennington attend?

Students who attend Peak Expeditionary - Pennington usually go on to attend:

Middle : Everitt Middle School
High : Wheat Ridge High School

How many students attend Peak Expeditionary - Pennington?

In the 2024-25 school year, 316 students attended Peak Expeditionary - Pennington.

What is the racial makeup of Peak Expeditionary - Pennington?

Students at Peak Expeditionary - Pennington are 58% White, 34% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Rate Peak Expeditionary - Pennington!

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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.