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Free Horizon Montessori

Q: Is Free Horizon Montessori a good school?

Free Horizon Montessori ranks 475 th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

475^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Free Horizon Montessori is a public elementary school in Golden, Colorado, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 373 students. The school is part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which is ranked 29th out of 115 districts in the state.

While Free Horizon Montessori follows a Montessori approach, its academic performance, as measured by CMAS test scores, is generally lower than the district and state averages across various grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (43.8%) and Math (27.4%) were significantly below the district (52.5% and 42.8%) and state (44.8% and 35.9%) averages. The school's performance is particularly weak in 8th grade English Language Arts, where only 25% of students were proficient, compared to 48.9% in the district and 43.9% statewide. Additionally, the school has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 27.7% and relatively high dropout rates ranging from 1.5% to 2.2% in recent years.

Comparing Free Horizon Montessori to nearby schools in the same district, such as Mitchell Elementary, Prospect Valley Elementary, and Kyffin Elementary, reveals that these schools generally outperform Free Horizon Montessori in academic achievement, with significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Math. For instance, in the 2024-2025 school year, Kyffin Elementary had proficiency rates of 81.2% in English Language Arts and 71.6% in Math, far exceeding Free Horizon Montessori's performance.

382

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,887

Per pupil spending ?

24.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

15920 W 10th Ave
Golden, CO 80401-5615

(303) 982-5921

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.6%

Hispanic:

16.8%

Two or more races:

7.1%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Free Horizon Montessori to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 49th percentile in 2015 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Colorado median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg48%

Colorado avg40%

Elementary school

475^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

247^th of 469

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 6 pts since 2017

From top 47% (2017) to bottom 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

57^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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	46.4	475 of 950	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.4	510 of 943	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.6	485 of 933	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	536 of 921	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.6	453 of 710	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.2	523 of 965	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.5	574 of 917	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.4	514 of 929	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.0	416 of 914	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	44.8	477 of 938	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.1	608 of 962	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.8	587 of 954	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	42.2	592 of 935	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.2	404 of 935	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.0	372 of 925	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.5	378 of 872	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	63.4	330 of 849	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.3	298 of 852	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	44.9	496 of 829	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	59.6	365 of 823	55.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	41.7	382 of 694	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.8	425 of 684	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	323 of 642	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.1	545 of 758	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.5	444 of 690	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	43.5	374 of 700	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.8	445 of 683	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.7	494 of 649	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.5	448 of 764	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.0	415 of 693	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	409 of 551	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	469 of 539	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	469 of 525	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.9	547 of 596	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	39.5	247 of 469	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	72.5	117 of 485	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	47.2	212 of 448	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.9	199 of 424	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.8	180 of 461	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.2	248 of 454	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	63.7	155 of 425	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	72.4	107 of 422	74.6%	★★★★☆
2010	70.2	118 of 409	71.1%	★★★★☆
2009	50.5	207 of 377	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	82.1	55 of 362	84.8%	★★★★☆

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

Male (2025)47th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)45th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)26th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts44%~ state avg

Science38%~ state avg

Math27%-9 vs state

3.6

8 ratings · 7 written reviews

5★3

4★3

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, January 23, 2015

Our experience with our first grader has been negative. Her teacher seems unqualified and I fear she is falling behind. When I try to communicate with the dean of students and principal, my calls and emails are often not returned, or they say they will get back to me by a certain time and they don't. There seems to be a general lack of organization, and poor communication from teachers and administration. Some of the staff and teachers are great, but I hear more stories of poor teaching than great ones. Probably because this school (according to its own principal) has a high teacher turnover rate. It also has a high student turnover rate so obviously my student is not the only one who is struggling. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, October 16, 2014

Free Horizon Montessori is a school where the principal, teachers, faculty, and parents all go above and beyond. My 3 year old and 6 year old are learning so much and are enjoying school immensely. Teachers are very committed to the children and do a great job with keeping them excited about the work. Highly recommend this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Five years ago we were looking for a school that could challenge our highly gifted child, yet embrace her as a child - Free Horizon Montessori is just that school. Each year we have been amazed at how calmly the teachers "follow the child" through the curriculum, gently nudging them on less desirable work, and giving them depth in areas of high interest. While the test scores on state standardized tests took a nose dive in 2012, other measures of academic achievement remained above average - and since then we have had thoughtful, conscious conversations on the importance of test taking and whether we are comfortable with judging our progress using other indicators of success. Free Horizon Montessori is a community - teacher, parents, administrators, and students coming together for a common purpose: enriching the lives of students and giving them the keys to global citizenship. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Free Horizon Montessori is the perfect school for our two children. The teachers and administrators at FHM are incredibly dedicated to meeting the individual needs of the students. They encourage inquisitiveness and creativity and rather than give the student the answer to a question or problem, FHM staff members teach the students how to problem solve and to think critically. If you are looking for a school where your child can develop as a whole person (intellectually, socially, and emotionally), I would encourage you to look beyond the school's standardized test scores and attend a tour to see if it is the right fit for your family. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, October 14, 2014

FHM is committed to helping every child achieve their potential and love learning. Balancing the Montessori philosophy and the demands of a public school system is tricky but the teachers and administrators are up to the challenge. Our children have thrived here. If you are looking for a school where standardized test scores are a top priority this school may not be it, as there is no teaching to the test and Montessori methods do not necessarily follow the same pattern as a more traditional public school. If you are looking for a warm healthy learning environment where each child is treated as an individual this may be the right school. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, October 14, 2014

My daughter went to Free Horizon for preschool and is in kindergarten there now. She LOVES school. At her age, we really want a school that will foster her love of learning and let her explore things that interest her while still having structure in her day. Her teacher is awesome, and the assistant teacher is an integral part of a fabulous classroom environment that promotes personal growth and learning. We have no experience with the upper level grades at this point. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, October 14, 2014

I am a Montessori kid, and as such, was looking for a school that met my high expectations for inspired learning, while balancing my son's natural ability to learn, and very normal learning challenges. In our 5th year at Free Horizon, we have embraced a vibrant, caring community. My son couldn't be more delighted about jumping into school every day, learning and most importantly learning to function in a community. His latest parent/teacher conference reported that he had outstanding citizenship --- really, what more could we ask for? This doesn't come from a test, it doesn't come from homework, it comes from trusting calm adults who understand and support children and their natural ability to learn and thrive. Montessori is about guiding, not about cramming in facts and figures. As a Montessori kid, turned into an adult, I wouldn't give back that educational experience for anything. So glad that my son is able to share that same experience. Close Quote

Schools Near Free Horizon Montessori

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 7th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
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%)	46.4	475^th of 950 public elementary schools	50.0%		41.4	510^th of 943 public elementary schools	45.9%	35	47.5	43.6	44.1	56.3	41.2	25.0	43.8	38.5	14.6	42.9	23.5	27.4	38.2	$17,887
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%)	95.3	28^th of 950 public elementary schools	97.1%		96.9	17^th of 943 public elementary schools	98.2%	11	77.0	78.6	88.7				81.2	68.9	69.0	77.5		71.6	74.3	$16,015
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%)	39.3	532^nd of 950 public elementary schools	44.0%		32.6	583^rd of 943 public elementary schools	38.2%	51	28.3	33.3	48.6				36.1	53.3	31.6	29.7		39.2	24.3	$18,270
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%)	68.9	277^th of 950 public elementary schools	70.8%		62.2	341^st of 943 public elementary schools	63.8%	64	62.3	53.5	54.5				56.7	59.0	43.7	45.5		49.2	43.6	$15,938
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%)	87.2	109^th of 950 public elementary schools	88.5%		82.1	151^st of 943 public elementary schools	84.0%	42	65.1	69.0	63.5				66.1	75.8	64.8	55.8		65.9	59.6	$15,404
Foothills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13165 West Ohio Avenue	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-9324	363	28	13.1	60.6%	168 (46.3%)	14 (3.9%)	144 (39.7%)	17 (4.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.2%)	28.6	629^th of 950 public elementary schools	33.8%		22.4	704^th of 943 public elementary schools	25.3%	75	42.6	22.0	35.9				33.6	21.8	28.8	25.6		25.3	28.9	$16,380
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
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%)	93.8	37^th of 950 public elementary schools	96.1%		96.1	21^st of 943 public elementary schools	97.8%	16	73.6	73.8	91.1				79.2	71.6	58.3	75.0		68.3	77.2	$14,863
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
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%)	88.7	87^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.8%		93	44^th of 943 public elementary schools	95.3%	43	80.2	62.8	65.1				69.4	85.1	65.1	59.3		69.9	61.6	$15,441

Frequently Asked Questions about Free Horizon Montessori

Is Free Horizon Montessori a good school?

Free Horizon Montessori ranks 475^th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Free Horizon Montessori in?

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

What is the racial makeup of Free Horizon Montessori?

Students at Free Horizon Montessori are 75% White, 17% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Free Horizon Montessori?

In the 2024-25 school year, 382 students attended Free Horizon Montessori.

Rate Free Horizon Montessori!

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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.