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Tarver Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
443rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools
Better than 53% of Colorado elementary schools
Summary

Tarver Elementary School in Thornton, CO, serves 475 students in grades PK–5 and is part of Adams 12 Five Star Schools, a district ranked 50th out of 115 in Colorado. Tarver has held a steady 3-star rating for three straight years, ranking around the 53rd percentile statewide — a picture of stability.

Math is the school's clear strength. In 2025–2026, 46.9% of Tarver students were proficient in math, compared with 35.5% for the district and 37.3% for the state — a gap that has persisted for three consecutive years. Among nearby neighborhood elementaries, only STEM Lab, a magnet program, scores higher; Tarver actually leads traditional peers like Prairie Hills Elementary School and Skyview Elementary School. English Language Arts is more middling: 42.2% proficiency, essentially matching the district (42.3%) but slightly below the state (44.7%). Science is the biggest concern — 5th grade science proficiency fell from 44.6% in 2023–2024 to just 19.3% in 2025–2026, now far below both district (35.6%) and state (36.1%) averages. Since science is only tested in 5th grade, cohort swings can be large, but this decline is steep enough to warrant attention.

Tarver's attendance is exemplary. Just 14.9% of students are chronically absent — less than half the district's 32.2% and well below the state's 28.4%. Only a few nearby schools match that. The trade-off is class size: with a 21.2 student–teacher ratio, Tarver has the largest classes among its nearby peers, versus 13.2 at Skyview Elementary School and 17.5 at Prairie Hills Elementary School. About 37.5% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, a moderate level relative to neighboring schools. Overall, Tarver is a stable, mid-tier school with standout math, strong attendance, average reading, and a science program that deserves attention.

475
Students ?
21.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$16,982
Per pupil spending ?
37.5%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 3500 Summit Grove Parkway
       Thornton, CO  80241-1322

(720) 972-5640

District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools


Students who attend Tarver Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Century Middle School
High:    Horizon High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
50.3%
Hispanic:
30.9%
Two or more races:
8.0%
more
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 Compare Tarver Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 46th percentile in 2016 → 53rd in 2026
Strengths
Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016
Above the Colorado median (53rd percentile)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Science scores 17 pts below the Colorado average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school41%
District avg39%
Colorado avg41%
443rd of 946
Colorado public elementary schools ?
Top 47%▲ up 7 pts since 2016
From bottom 46% (2016) to top 47% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
11th of 34Elementary Schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools
49th of 114Adams 12 Five Star Schools 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202648.6443 of 94653.2%★★★☆☆
202548.7450 of 95052.6%★★★☆☆
202450.3446 of 94352.7%★★★☆☆
202343.1491 of 93347.4%★★☆☆☆
202247.9447 of 92151.5%★★★☆☆
202136.3474 of 71033.2%★★☆☆☆
201964.6318 of 96567.0%★★★☆☆
201851.2405 of 91755.8%★★★☆☆
201751.0409 of 92956.0%★★★☆☆
201641.2495 of 91445.8%★★☆☆☆
201558.3345 of 93863.2%★★★☆☆
201461.5375 of 96261.0%★★★☆☆
201365.2342 of 95464.2%★★★☆☆
201257.5425 of 93554.5%★★★☆☆
201163.0373 of 93560.1%★★★☆☆
201063.6365 of 92560.5%★★★☆☆
200963.4342 of 87260.8%★★★☆☆
200861.2354 of 84958.3%★★★☆☆
200757.1407 of 85252.2%★★★☆☆
200659.8369 of 82955.5%★★★☆☆
200562.2341 of 82358.6%★★★☆☆
200459.8349 of 80856.8%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202635.9423 of 69539.1%★★☆☆☆
202541.0390 of 69443.8%★★☆☆☆
202449.2329 of 68451.9%★★★☆☆
202331.9432 of 64232.7%★★☆☆☆
202247.4303 of 59549.1%★★☆☆☆
201955.7311 of 75859.0%★★★☆☆
201840.4390 of 69043.5%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202654.190 of 25164.1%★★★☆☆
202339.9115 of 19741.6%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202644.6169 of 32247.5%★★☆☆☆
202543.8185 of 33745.1%★★☆☆☆
202441.2215 of 36541.1%★★☆☆☆
202346.5141 of 26546.8%★★☆☆☆
201996.31 of 33299.7%★★★★★
201861.090 of 30870.8%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202644.0365 of 69747.6%★★☆☆☆
202539.1406 of 70042.0%★★☆☆☆
202434.0430 of 68337.0%★★☆☆☆
202336.0398 of 64938.7%★★☆☆☆
202231.9389 of 59434.5%★★☆☆☆
201959.6277 of 76463.7%★★★☆☆
201845.2341 of 69350.8%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202631.4402 of 54726.5%★☆☆☆☆
202539.1352 of 55136.1%★★☆☆☆
202427.0424 of 53921.3%★☆☆☆☆
202327.0416 of 52520.8%★☆☆☆☆
202237.2315 of 45430.6%★★☆☆☆
201950.9288 of 59651.7%★★★☆☆
201855.8139 of 33758.8%★★★☆☆
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)
Hispanic (2026)64th percentile+11 vs school
Male (2026)48th percentile-6 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile-6 vs school
Female (2026)39th percentile-14 vs school
White (2026)27th percentile-27 vs school
By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?
Math47%+10 vs state
English Language Arts42%~ state avg
Science19%-17 vs state

4.8
4 ratings
53
41
30
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10
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Frequently Asked Questions about Tarver Elementary School

Students at Tarver Elementary School are 50% White, 31% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 8% Asian, 2% African American.

Tarver Elementary School ranks 443rd of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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

Middle : Century Middle School
High : Horizon High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 475 students attended Tarver Elementary School.

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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.

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