Independence Elementary School

Summary:

Independence Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Aurora, Colorado, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 432. The school is part of the Cherry Creek School District No. 5, which is ranked 28th out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Independence Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with higher percentages of African American (14.81%) and Hispanic (29.4%) students, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Colorado elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years. Its performance on CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) tests is significantly lower than the district and state averages across all grades and subjects. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students (over 60%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds compared to the nearby schools like Indian Ridge Elementary and Trails West Elementary, which are outperforming Independence Elementary on various academic measures.

The analysis of Independence Elementary School reveals several key areas of concern, including persistent low academic performance, a diverse student population with unique needs, and socioeconomic challenges faced by the school community. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive and targeted approach, drawing on the strengths and best practices of the higher-performing schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 to support the academic and social-emotional growth of the students at Independence Elementary.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4700 South Memphis Street
       Aurora, CO  80015-1614


(720) 886-8200

District: Cherry Creek School District No. 5

SchoolDigger Rank:
725th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,844 Help


Students who attend Independence Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Laredo Middle School
High:    Smoky Hill High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.3 Help
Number of students:  432

Racial breakdown:

White:
40.0%
Hispanic:
29.4%
African American:
14.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  61.1% Help


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 Compare Independence Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Independence Elementary School ranks worse than 76.9% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 38th among 46 ranked elementary schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.37. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Independence Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Elementary School is $17,844, which is the 4th highest among 46 elementary schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independence Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Elementary School 725th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Independence Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Cherry Creek School District No. 5:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherry Creek School District No. 5 28th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Independence Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 34.30 565th 808 30.1%
2005 45.25 497th 823 39.6%
2006 36.95 559th 829 32.6%
2007 41.31 549th 852 35.6%
2008 30.05 631st 849 25.7%
2009 28.37 678th 872 22.2%
2010 30.11 684th 925 26.1%
2011 41.38 593rd 935 36.6%
2012 31.22 679th 935 27.4%
2013 34.44 666th 954 30.2%
2014 39.11 617th 962 35.9%
2015 37.71 546th 938 41.8%
2016 41.13 497th 914 45.6%
2017 26.05 668th 929 28.1%
2018 21.50 710th 917 22.6%
2019 17.52 799th 965 17.2%
2022 25.92 656th 921 28.8%
2023 22.72 700th 933 25.0%
2024 21.37 725th 943 23.1%
See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.66 256th 308 16.9%
2019 18.60 304th 332 8.4%
2022 39.05 118th 203 41.9%
2023 23.39 232nd 265 12.5%
2024 26.41 286th 365 21.6%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Independence Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.10 647th 690 6.2%
2019 10.38 720th 758 5.0%
2022 17.61 496th 595 16.6%
2023 22.24 490th 642 23.7%
2024 18.29 565th 684 17.4%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Independence Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.29 564th 693 18.6%
2019 19.84 610th 764 20.2%
2022 23.20 448th 594 24.6%
2023 13.17 578th 649 10.9%
2024 9.98 647th 683 5.3%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 43.77 110th 197 44.2%
2024 33.81 161st 242 33.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Independence Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.07 312th 337 7.4%
2019 12.06 562nd 596 5.7%
2022 28.25 362nd 454 20.3%
2023 5.21 521st 525 0.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Independence Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Independence Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 424 28 5 16 0 n/a n/a 0 473
1989 402 39 5 11 2 n/a n/a 0 459
1990 423 32 8 16 1 n/a n/a 0 480
1991 426 35 10 19 0 n/a n/a 0 490
1992 390 27 7 18 2 n/a n/a 0 444
1993 379 22 5 19 3 n/a n/a 0 428
1994 433 33 16 19 4 n/a n/a 0 505
1995 461 63 19 27 4 n/a n/a 0 574
1996 461 63 19 27 4 n/a n/a 0 574
1997 459 52 31 36 2 n/a n/a 0 580
1998 454 58 40 37 2 n/a n/a 0 591
1999 415 65 43 33 1 n/a n/a 0 557
2000 393 62 34 31 2 n/a n/a 0 522
2001 391 63 32 50 2 n/a n/a 0 538
2002 358 81 22 70 4 n/a n/a 0 535
2003 358 81 22 70 4 n/a n/a 0 535
2004 334 86 23 89 6 n/a n/a 0 538
2005 291 113 26 103 8 n/a n/a 0 541
2006 255 118 28 126 3 n/a n/a 0 530
2007 245 100 26 124 3 n/a n/a 0 498
2008 258 113 17 107 4 n/a n/a 0 499
2009 262 114 23 115 4 n/a n/a 0 518
2010 248 112 25 119 4 n/a n/a 0 508
2011 231 92 17 124 5 0 17 0 486
2012 214 92 14 125 3 0 24 0 472
2013 210 97 19 126 3 0 35 0 490
2014 198 88 24 137 3 0 34 0 484
2015 214 96 22 133 2 0 42 0 509
2016 218 80 20 141 7 0 50 0 516
2017 215 75 21 132 6 1 54 0 504
2018 211 94 16 124 4 0 55 0 504
2019 203 98 17 128 3 0 67 0 516
2020 186 93 14 134 4 2 68 0 501
2021 176 70 16 123 6 1 54 0 446
2022 155 61 22 117 2 1 43 0 401
2023 173 64 18 127 2 2 46 0 432

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 473 26.6 17.7 n/a
1989 459 26.1 17.5 6.1
1990 480 26.5 18.1 5.8
1991 490 26.1 18.7 7.1
1992 444 25.9 17.1 8.6
1993 428 22.5 19.0 7.7
1994 505 26.2 19.3 9.7
1995 574 27.0 21.2 10.6
1996 574 27.0 21.2 10.6
1997 580 29.7 19.5 7.9
1998 591 30.3 19.5 9.1
1999 557 30.0 18.6 10.4
2000 522 30.1 17.3 22
2001 538 29.1 18.5 19
2002 535 35.2 15.2 28
2003 535 35.2 15.2 28
2004 538 36.3 14.8 32.7
2005 541 36.6 14.8 37
2006 530 35.4 15.0 40
2007 498 34.7 14.4 43
2008 499 33.6 14.9 40.9
2009 518 34.8 14.9 48.3
2010 508 37.4 13.5 48
2011 486 36.0 13.4 49.4
2012 472 33.0 14.2 52.8
2013 490 34.0 14.3 52.4
2014 484 34.9 13.8 53.7
2015 509 37.0 13.7 57.6
2016 516 36.0 14.3 57.4
2017 504 37.3 13.5 59.3
2018 504 34.9 14.4 62.7
2019 516 35.2 14.6 59.3
2020 501 35.5 14.0 60.3
2021 446 31.0 14.3 60.1
2022 401 31.1 12.8 54.6
2023 432 30.0 14.3 61.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 473 26.6 17.7 n/a
1989 459 26.1 17.5 6.1
1990 480 26.5 18.1 5.8
1991 490 26.1 18.7 7.1
1992 444 25.9 17.1 8.6
1993 428 22.5 19.0 7.7
1994 505 26.2 19.3 9.7
1995 574 27.0 21.2 10.6
1996 574 27.0 21.2 10.6
1997 580 29.7 19.5 7.9
1998 591 30.3 19.5 9.1
1999 557 30.0 18.6 10.4
2000 522 30.1 17.3 22
2001 538 29.1 18.5 19
2002 535 35.2 15.2 28
2003 535 35.2 15.2 28
2004 538 36.3 14.8 32.7
2005 541 36.6 14.8 37
2006 530 35.4 15.0 40
2007 498 34.7 14.4 43
2008 499 33.6 14.9 40.9
2009 518 34.8 14.9 48.3
2010 508 37.4 13.5 48
2011 486 36.0 13.4 49.4
2012 472 33.0 14.2 52.8
2013 490 34.0 14.3 52.4
2014 484 34.9 13.8 53.7
2015 509 37.0 13.7 57.6
2016 516 36.0 14.3 57.4
2017 504 37.3 13.5 59.3
2018 504 34.9 14.4 62.7
2019 516 35.2 14.6 59.3
2020 501 35.5 14.0 60.3
2021 446 31.0 14.3 60.1
2022 401 31.1 12.8 54.6
2023 432 30.0 14.3 61.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Elementary School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $13,393
2020 $14,048
2021 $14,247
2022 $17,708
2023 $17,844

Data source: Colorado Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 799th of 965 Elementary schoolsRanks 700th of 933 Elementary schools
 7.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary School)1826.9
 8.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)48.546.1
 2.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)41.339.9
 1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Independence Elementary School)16.923.2
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)49.947.8
 2.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Colorado)4140.4
 0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary School)3736
 1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)53.949.3
 4.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)4843.8
 4.2%
4th Grade Math (Independence Elementary School)27.831.4
 3.6%
   4th Grade Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)39.636.4
 3.2%
   4th Grade Math (Colorado)33.632.7
 0.9%
5th Grade Science (Independence Elementary School)11.514.3
 2.8%
   5th Grade Science (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)41.139.4
 1.7%
   5th Grade Science (Colorado)35.933.9
 2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary School)25.332.9
 7.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)51.854.9
 3.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)48.447.8
 0.6%
5th Grade Math (Independence Elementary School)20.714.3
 6.4%
   5th Grade Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)42.142.7
 0.6%
   5th Grade Math (Colorado)35.736.5
 0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Independence Elementary School)26.131.6
 5.5%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)50.849.7
 1.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)45.843.7
 2.1%
All Grades Math (Independence Elementary School)21.421.8
 0.4%
   All Grades Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)43.139.9
 3.2%
   All Grades Math (Colorado)34.732.9
 1.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students516432
 16.3%
African American9864
 34.7%
American Indian32
 33.3%
Asian1718
 5.9%
Hispanic128127
 0.8%
Pacific Islander02
White203173
 14.8%
Two or More Races6746
 31.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients59.3%61.1%
 1.8%


Schools Near Independence Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Elementary School

Students at Independence Elementary School are 40% White, 29% Hispanic, 15% African American, 11% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Independence Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.1% of Colorado elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 432 students attended Independence Elementary School.

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

Middle : Laredo Middle School
High : Smoky Hill High School


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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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