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North Star Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

862^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

North Star Elementary School is a PK–5 elementary school in the Denver/Northglenn area, serving approximately 320 students as part of Adams 12 Five Star Schools. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 86.25% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. In 2025-26, North Star ranked 862nd out of 943 elementary schools statewide, placing it in the 9th percentile with a 0-star rating — a position it has occupied almost consistently for the past decade.

The most defining metric for North Star is chronic absenteeism. At 48.4% in 2024-25, nearly half of all students were chronically absent — 16 points above the district rate and higher than every nearby school, including Coronado Hills Elementary School (46.1%), Thornton Elementary School (45.9%), and McElwain Elementary School (45.5%). Academic proficiency is also far below district and state averages: 21.2% in English Language Arts, 14.2% in math, and just 9.5% in 5th-grade science. However, North Star actually outperforms several immediate neighbors — McElwain (16.2% ELA), Thornton (16.1%), and Coronado Hills (14.6%) — while schools with similar demographics like STEM Launch (32.2% ELA, 23.1% math) and Sherrelwood Elementary School (27% ELA, 28% math) achieve notably stronger results.

High poverty alone does not explain these outcomes, and attendance is likely a critical lever. STEM Launch serves 78.6% free/reduced lunch students yet posts a chronic absenteeism rate of only 19.9%, while Metropolitan Arts Academy sits at 11.5% — both dramatically lower than North Star's 48.4%. There are some encouraging signs: ELA proficiency improved from 15.7% in 2024-25 to 21.2% in 2025-26, and math has risen from 8.0% in 2022-23 to 14.2%. That said, subgroup performance remains deeply concerning, with male students ranking in the 2nd percentile statewide and female students in the 8th percentile.

320

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,664

Per pupil spending ?

86.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8740 North Star Drive
Denver, CO 80221-4322

(720) 972-5560

District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Students who attend North Star Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Thornton Middle School
High:	Northglenn High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

82.8%

White:

9.7%

African American:

4.7%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 14th percentile in 2022 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (17% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (48% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg39%

Colorado avg41%

862^nd of 943

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 2% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 34Elementary Schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools

50^th of 115Adams 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	862 of 943	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.2	884 of 950	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	862 of 933	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	789 of 921	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.2	681 of 710	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.9	886 of 965	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.6	868 of 917	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	9.5	890 of 929	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.4	897 of 914	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	10.6	896 of 938	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	9.6	900 of 962	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.3	921 of 954	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	9.2	863 of 935	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	11.1	839 of 935	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.4	855 of 925	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.8	805 of 872	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	3.6	828 of 849	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	4.3	822 of 852	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	4.6	798 of 829	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	3.9	796 of 823	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	7.0	756 of 808	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	11.9	636 of 692	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.2	711 of 758	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	23.3	232 of 270	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	6.5	677 of 694	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.5	738 of 764	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2019)14th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)8th percentile~ school

Male (2026)2nd percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts21%-24 vs state

Math14%-23 vs state

Science10%-27 vs state

4.0

1 rating

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Schools Near North Star Elementary School

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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 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 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
North Star Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8740 North Star Drive	Denver	80221	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5560	320	22	14.5	86.3%	31 (9.7%)	15 (4.7%)	265 (82.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	11.6	862^nd of 943 public elementary schools	8.6%		10.2	884^th of 950 public elementary schools	6.9%	22	21.3	17.8	25.0				21.2	20.8						14.2	9.5		$21,664
Sherrelwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8095 Kalamath Drive	Denver	80221	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-5353	204	14	15.1	85.3%	20 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	172 (84.3%)	5 (2.5%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.5%)	3 (1.5%)	22.6	700^th of 943 public elementary schools	25.8%		18.6	757^th of 950 public elementary schools	20.3%	57	18.5	39.4	22.5				27.0	22.2	45.5	17.5				28.0	15.0		$20,724
North Mor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9580 Damon Drive	Northglenn	80221	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5540	304	19	16.0	79.3%	47 (15.5%)	5 (1.6%)	227 (74.7%)	13 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	9.4	892^nd of 943 public elementary schools	5.4%		12.3	855^th of 950 public elementary schools	10.0%	37		24.5					20.9		10.0					8.9	7.5		$20,127
McElwain Elementary School	Public	K-5	1020 Dawson Drive	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5500	361	25	14.4	90.0%	48 (13.3%)	3 (0.8%)	185 (51.2%)	112 (31.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	7.2	918^th of 943 public elementary schools	2.7%					(n/a)	6.5	19.6	22.2				16.2	10.9							8.9		$20,169
STEM Launch	Public, Magnet	K-8	9450 Pecos Street	Thornton	80260	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(720) 972-5120	677	46	14.7	78.6%	134 (19.8%)	5 (0.7%)	496 (73.3%)	11 (1.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.1%)	30.1	620^th of 943 public elementary schools	34.3%		26.8	648^th of 950 public elementary schools	31.8%	28	19.1	31.9	37.0	30.2	29.0	40.6	32.2	21.3	27.5	41.9	16.0	9.2	29.4	23.1	39.7	25.5	$17,923
Thornton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Eppinger Boulevard	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5660	387	28	13.8	88.1%	45 (11.6%)	9 (2.3%)	283 (73.1%)	35 (9.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.4%)	6.8	923^rd of 943 public elementary schools	2.1%		9.2	904^th of 950 public elementary schools	4.8%	19	6.7		17.4					9.8	13.0	14.6				12.3			$23,216
Adventure Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	7725 Conifer Rd	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1410	429	23	19.0	69.9%	31 (7.2%)	5 (1.2%)	380 (88.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.3%)	25.8	669^th of 943 public elementary schools	29.1%		26.6	651^st of 950 public elementary schools	31.5%	18	30.0	21.2	28.6	37.8			28.5		26.9		38.5			22.8	7.1		$15,968
Coronado Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8300 Downing Drive	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5320	412	28	14.7	81.3%	37 (9.0%)	7 (1.7%)	349 (84.7%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.2%)	7.4	917^th of 943 public elementary schools	2.8%		13.6	827^th of 950 public elementary schools	12.9%	90	6.4	15.5	21.2				14.6	14.9	5.2	11.5				10.2	13.5		$19,730
Metropolitan Arts Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	2341 Sherrelwood Drive	Denver	80221	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-1884	302	20	15.0	80.5%	25 (8.3%)	4 (1.3%)	255 (84.4%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	9 (3.0%)	20.6	733^rd of 943 public elementary schools	22.3%		20.7	732^nd of 950 public elementary schools	22.9%	1	28.0	16.7	30.0	32.6	37.2	44.0	31.7	20.0	13.3	20.0	23.9	9.3	20.0	17.6	20.0	52.0	$18,974
Global Primary Academy	Public	PK, KG-3	7480 Conifer Road	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 853-1170	272	16	17.5	72.1%	18 (6.6%)	3 (1.1%)	243 (89.3%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)								(n/a)	29.2						29.2	27.1						27.1			$19,928

Frequently Asked Questions about North Star Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of North Star Elementary School?

Students at North Star Elementary School are 83% Hispanic, 10% White, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of North Star Elementary School attend?

Students who attend North Star Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thornton Middle School
High : Northglenn High School

What district is North Star Elementary School in?

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

How many students attend North Star Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 320 students attended North Star Elementary School.

Is North Star Elementary School a good school?

North Star Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.6% of Colorado elementary schools.

Rate North Star 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.