Explore Pk-8

Explore Pk-8 is a public magnet school located in Thornton, Colorado, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 579 students. The school is part of the Mapleton School District No. 1, which is ranked 102 out of 115 districts in Colorado and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Explore Pk-8 has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Colorado elementary schools, ranging from 492nd out of 710 schools in 2020-2021 to 684th out of 950 schools in 2024-2025. Its SchoolDigger rating has also been low, ranging from 0 to 2 stars out of 5. The school's test scores are significantly lower than the Mapleton School District and the state of Colorado across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 15.3% of Explore Pk-8 students were proficient or better in CMAS Math, compared to 17% for the district and 35.9% for the state. Explore Pk-8 has also experienced relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 0.8% to 3.9% in recent years, and high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 27.7% to 36.9%.

While Explore Pk-8's overall performance is low, the school's performance for certain subgroups, such as male students and Hispanic students, is relatively better compared to the district and state averages. However, the school's low performance, high dropout rates, and high chronic absenteeism may be related to the high proportion of students from low-income families, which can present unique challenges. Despite being a magnet school, Explore Pk-8's performance does not appear to be significantly better than the nearby Adams 12 Five Star Schools district, such as Hulstrom K-8, which consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state.