Springfield Elementary School

Springfield Elementary School is a small rural school in Springfield, Colorado, serving 156 students in grades PK–5 within the Springfield School District No. Re-4.

Math is a notable strength at Springfield Elementary School. In the most recent testing year, the school's all-grades math proficiency reached 45.8%, surpassing the state average of 37.3% and nearly tripling nearby Walsh Elementary School's 15.6%. This is especially noteworthy given that 73% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. However, reading proficiency lags behind the state (37.5% vs. 44.7%), and 5th-grade math drops to just 21.1% proficient, suggesting younger students may be driving the overall math success. Science is another area for growth, with only 26.3% of 5th graders proficient compared to the state's 36.1%. Springfield consistently outperforms district averages in every reported subject, making it a relative success story within a district that ranks in the 6th percentile statewide.

Chronic absenteeism is the school's most significant challenge. At 29.3%, Springfield's rate is more than triple Walsh Elementary School's 9.2%, even though both schools serve nearly identical poverty levels (73.1% vs. 73.3%). The good news is attendance has improved from 36.8% the prior year. Springfield has also invested in staffing, lowering its student-teacher ratio from 12.0 to 9.6 over three years. The school's state ranking has been volatile, swinging from a 3-star rating in 2021–2022 to a 0-star in 2020–2021, and currently holding a 1-star rating at the 22nd percentile. As the largest elementary in the area—compared with Pritchett Elementary at 42 students and Vilas Elementary at just 15—Springfield benefits from more robust data, but small class sizes still mean performance can fluctuate with individual cohorts.