Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Sanford Elementary School

Q: Is Sanford Elementary School a good school?

Sanford Elementary School ranks 436 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

436^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 54% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Sanford Elementary School is a small, rural PK-6 school in Sanford, Colorado, serving 218 students as part of Sanford School District No. 6. The school has been a consistent mid-pack performer in Colorado, earning 3 stars and ranking in the 54th percentile statewide in 2025-2026. Over the past decade, it has generally sat in the upper-middle range of Colorado elementary schools.

The school's most striking strength is its performance with students from low-income families. Sanford's economically disadvantaged students ranked in the 89th percentile statewide—a 4-star result that stands out given that 55.5% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. This is especially notable when compared to nearby schools like La Jara Elementary School, which has a higher poverty rate and a lower low-SES subgroup ranking despite higher overall scores. Sanford also shines in early-grade math: 66.7% of 3rd graders were proficient in 2025-2026, well above the state average of 41.5%. While overall math scores fluctuate from year to year, this strong 3rd grade result points to solid foundational instruction.

Not everything is rosy, however. Sixth grade reading is a major concern—only 20.8% of 6th graders were proficient in ELA in 2025-2026, roughly half the rate of the school's own 5th graders and about 20 points below the state average. This suggests a possible upper-elementary literacy gap. Chronic absenteeism sits at 22%, better than the state but above the district average. Sanford also has the largest class sizes among nearby schools (16.6 students per teacher), yet still manages to compare favorably to Manassa Elementary School and outperform Alamosa Elementary School 3-5. Overall, Sanford is a solid rural school that does especially well serving low-income students, but improving 6th grade reading would help it move firmly into the top half of Colorado elementary schools.

218

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,496

Per pupil spending ?

55.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

755 Second Street
Sanford, CO 81151

(719) 274-5167

District: Sanford School District No. 6

Students who attend Sanford Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Sanford Junior/Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.7%

Hispanic:

33.0%

African American:

1.8%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Sanford Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Colorado median (54th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg34%

Colorado avg41%

436^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 46%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

47^th of 114Sanford School District No. 6 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	49.8	436 of 946	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.7	400 of 950	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.4	350 of 943	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.0	433 of 933	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.6	472 of 921	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.6	358 of 710	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.0	367 of 965	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.1	300 of 917	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.7	413 of 929	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.2	330 of 914	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	45.0	475 of 938	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.9	443 of 962	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	73.8	242 of 954	74.6%	★★★★☆
2012	66.0	340 of 935	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.0	313 of 935	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.3	403 of 925	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.9	340 of 872	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	50.8	467 of 849	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.6	401 of 852	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	55.0	407 of 829	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.2	313 of 823	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2004	54.3	403 of 808	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	81.1	34 of 322	89.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)89th percentile+36 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts42%-3 vs state

Math35%~ state avg

Science32%-4 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Sanford Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Monday, November 12, 2012

The teachers are exceptional and the community is the greatest! I drive 1300 miles a month so our son can go to Sanford. This is our second year of having our son in this school and we wouldn't trade it for anything! Close Quote

Schools Near Sanford Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2025)	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 6th 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 All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Sanford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	755 Second Street	Sanford	81151	Conejos County	Sanford School District No. 6	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 274-5167	218	13	16.6	55.5%	141 (64.7%)	4 (1.8%)	72 (33.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	49.8	436^th of 946 public elementary schools	53.9%		55.7	400^th of 950 public elementary schools	57.9%	36	37.5	39.1	59.5	20.8	41.7	66.7	740.0	37.8	721.0	35.2	32.4	$12,496
La Jara Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	214 Poplar Street	La Jara	81140	Conejos County	North Conejos School District No. Re1J	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 274-5791	195	16	12.5	65.6%	95 (48.7%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (50.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	61.4	342^nd of 946 public elementary schools	63.8%		51.8	432^nd of 950 public elementary schools	54.5%	90	28.6	46.4	63.6		47.2	57.1	53.6	51.5		53.9	36.4	$12,855
Manassa Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 South 5th Street	Manassa	81141	Conejos County	North Conejos School District No. Re1J	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 843-5277	190	16	12.2	75.3%	83 (43.7%)	0 (0.0%)	106 (55.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	54.5	406^th of 946 public elementary schools	57.1%		77.8	199^th of 950 public elementary schools	79.1%	207	715.0	63.0	44.1		741.0	723.0	66.7	40.0		742.0	22.9	$13,079
Guadalupe Elementary School	Public	K-5	13099 County Rd G	Antonito	81120	Conejos County	South Conejos School District No. Re10	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 376-5468	114	10	11.4	79.8%	10 (8.8%)	1 (0.9%)	103 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					692.0					694.0		$23,582
Alamosa Elementary School 3-5	Public	3-5	1709 West 10th Street Buildin	Alamosa	81101	Alamosa County	Alamosa School District No. Re-11J	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 587-1600	473	33	14.3	81.2%	176 (37.2%)	7 (1.5%)	260 (55.0%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.3%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (3.2%)	26.5	665^th of 946 public elementary schools	29.7%		32	597^th of 950 public elementary schools	37.2%	68	26.5	36.9	34.6		32.9	42.8	22.9	14.8		26.5	22.6	$23,247
Alamosa Elementary School K-2	Public	K-2	1707 West 10th Street Buildin	Alamosa	81101	Alamosa County	Alamosa School District No. Re-11J	No	No	No	Yes	(719) 587-6600	437	32	13.6	75.7%	142 (32.5%)	5 (1.1%)	277 (63.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.6%)								(n/a)												$5,618

Frequently Asked Questions about Sanford Elementary School

Is Sanford Elementary School a good school?

Sanford Elementary School ranks 436^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sanford Elementary School attend?

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

High : Sanford Junior/Senior High School

What district is Sanford Elementary School in?

Sanford School District No. 6

What is the racial makeup of Sanford Elementary School?

Students at Sanford Elementary School are 65% White, 33% Hispanic, 2% African American.

How many students attend Sanford Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 218 students attended Sanford Elementary School.

Rate Sanford Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Elementary School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Sanford, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Sanford Elementary School!

Latest Colorado data All new data »

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