Columbine Elementary School

Summary:

Columbine Elementary School is a public elementary school in Denver, Colorado, serving 278 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school has a diverse student population and lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages, but also a relatively low student-teacher ratio.

Columbine Elementary School stands out for its racial diversity, with a student population that is 42.45% White, 19.78% African American, 27.7% Hispanic, and 8.63% two or more races. This is higher than nearby Polaris Elementary School, which has a 63.11% White student body. However, Columbine's academic performance, as measured by CMAS test scores, is generally lower than the School District No. 1 and the state of Colorado. For example, only 26.1% of Columbine students were proficient or better in CMAS/English Language Arts, compared to 40.7% for the district and 44.1% for the state.

Columbine Elementary also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 48.92%, which is significantly higher than the 7.01% at nearby Stedman Elementary School. Despite these challenges, Columbine has a lower student-teacher ratio of 13.6, compared to 17 at Stedman. The school's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, suggesting that its performance has not kept pace with other schools in Colorado. However, the data indicates that with targeted interventions and support, Columbine could potentially improve its academic outcomes and better serve its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2540 East 29th Ave
Denver, CO 80205-4730

(720) 424-8510

District: School District No. 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
750^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,972

Students who attend Columbine Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	DSST: Cole Middle School
	McAuliffe Manual Middle School
High:	Manual High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 278

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.4%

Hispanic:

27.7%

African American:

19.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbine Elementary School ranks worse than 79.5% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 58^th among 94 ranked elementary schools in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.18. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Columbine Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbine Elementary School is $18,972, which is the 38^th highest among 94 elementary schools in the School District No. 1.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Columbine Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

School District No. 1:

SchoolDigger ranks School District No. 1 78^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Columbine Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	9.04	740^th	808	8.4%
2005	6.77	773^rd	823	6.1%
2006	9.16	757^th	829	8.7%
2007	9.94	780^th	852	8.5%
2008	15.54	732^nd	849	13.8%
2009	14.17	766^th	872	12.2%
2010	19.95	765^th	925	17.3%
2011	13.42	821^st	935	12.2%
2012	4.99	918^th	935	1.8%
2013	3.33	946^th	954	0.8%
2014	6.75	936^th	962	2.7%
2015	23.35	712^th	938	24.1%
2016	29.87	611^th	914	33.2%
2017	22.04	716^th	929	22.9%
2019	11.66	893^rd	965	7.5%
2023	32.17	590^th	933	36.8%
2024	19.18	750^th	943	20.5%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, January 26, 2012

My daughter is attending the 2011-2012 ECE program and she is really enjoying herself. Mrs. Coursey and Ms. Maeve are awesome!!!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Columbine Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	97	318	18	40	3	n/a	n/a	476
1989	141	257	20	29	0	n/a	n/a	447
1990	134	254	25	33	0	n/a	n/a	446
1991	119	272	28	40	1	n/a	n/a	460
1992	113	267	39	40	5	n/a	n/a	464
1993	127	306	33	50	3	n/a	n/a	519
1994	133	256	29	58	4	n/a	n/a	480
1995	117	245	27	77	2	n/a	n/a	468
1996	117	245	27	77	2	n/a	n/a	468
1997	48	353	27	146	1	n/a	n/a	575
1998	49	348	23	135	1	n/a	n/a	556
1999	45	272	23	135	1	n/a	n/a	476
2000	18	266	24	100	1	n/a	n/a	409
2001	12	251	19	122	2	n/a	n/a	406
2002	12	234	10	133	1	n/a	n/a	390
2003	12	234	10	133	1	n/a	n/a	390
2004	7	189	3	136	1	n/a	n/a	336
2005	1	186	1	142	3	n/a	n/a	333
2006	8	176	0	156	3	n/a	n/a	343
2007	9	158	1	143	1	n/a	n/a	312
2008	7	138	1	146	5	n/a	n/a	297
2009	14	144	1	137	4	n/a	n/a	300
2010	27	137	1	141	4	n/a	n/a	310
2011	21	113	3	146	2	1	6	292
2012	21	127	0	128	4	2	6	288
2013	23	113	0	139	3	2	7	287
2014	19	96	0	117	2	1	4	239
2015	15	95	0	102	0	1	7	220
2016	20	110	0	99	1	0	10	240
2017	24	112	3	112	4	0	7	262
2018	33	121	4	90	4	0	8	260
2019	38	111	2	85	5	0	7	248
2020	66	100	4	96	3	0	6	275
2021	81	86	3	73	2	2	10	257
2022	101	73	1	78	2	2	19	276
2023	118	55	1	77	1	2	24	278

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 Columbine Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	476	26.3	18.0	n/a
1989	447	25.2	17.7	33.8
1990	446	21.5	20.7	33.9
1991	460	24.7	18.6	34.8
1992	464	25.2	18.4	43.5
1993	519	25.2	20.6	37
1994	480	24.3	19.8	46.3
1995	468	24.3	19.2	56.6
1996	468	24.3	19.2	56.6
1997	575	26.6	21.6	71.8
1998	556	30.3	18.3	71
1999	476	29.5	16.1	70.2
2000	409	24.0	17.0	77
2001	406	25.0	16.2	77.8
2002	390	29.8	13.1	86.2
2003	390	29.8	13.1	86.2
2004	336	23.7	14.2	83.3
2005	333	18.5	18.0	75.1
2006	343	19.4	17.7	86.3
2007	312	19.0	16.4	96.5
2008	297	17.0	17.5	86.5
2009	300	22.0	13.6	94
2010	310	23.2	13.3	93.9
2011	292	20.0	14.6	92.5
2012	288	17.2	16.6	84.4
2013	287	16.1	17.7	81.5
2014	239	20.5	11.6	90
2015	220	19.0	11.5	88.2
2016	240	21.0	11.4	88.3
2017	262	22.3	11.7	89.7
2018	260	23.6	11.0	86.2
2019	248	21.0	11.7	79.8
2020	275	20.6	13.3	70.5
2021	257	18.3	14.0	62.6
2022	276	19.3	14.2	54.3
2023	278	20.3	13.6	48.9

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 Columbine Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	476	26.3	18.0	n/a
1989	447	25.2	17.7	33.8
1990	446	21.5	20.7	33.9
1991	460	24.7	18.6	34.8
1992	464	25.2	18.4	43.5
1993	519	25.2	20.6	37
1994	480	24.3	19.8	46.3
1995	468	24.3	19.2	56.6
1996	468	24.3	19.2	56.6
1997	575	26.6	21.6	71.8
1998	556	30.3	18.3	71
1999	476	29.5	16.1	70.2
2000	409	24.0	17.0	77
2001	406	25.0	16.2	77.8
2002	390	29.8	13.1	86.2
2003	390	29.8	13.1	86.2
2004	336	23.7	14.2	83.3
2005	333	18.5	18.0	75.1
2006	343	19.4	17.7	86.3
2007	312	19.0	16.4	96.5
2008	297	17.0	17.5	86.5
2009	300	22.0	13.6	94
2010	310	23.2	13.3	93.9
2011	292	20.0	14.6	92.5
2012	288	17.2	16.6	84.4
2013	287	16.1	17.7	81.5
2014	239	20.5	11.6	90
2015	220	19.0	11.5	88.2
2016	240	21.0	11.4	88.3
2017	262	22.3	11.7	89.7
2018	260	23.6	11.0	86.2
2019	248	21.0	11.7	79.8
2020	275	20.6	13.3	70.5
2021	257	18.3	14.0	62.6
2022	276	19.3	14.2	54.3
2023	278	20.3	13.6	48.9

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 Columbine Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$16,853
2020	$15,957
2021	$17,162
2022	$17,843
2023	$18,972

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbine 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 893^rd of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 590^th of 933 Elementary schools	29.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Columbine Elementary School)	15.4	31	15.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	39.4	40.1	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Columbine Elementary School)	23.1	25.6	2.5%
3rd Grade Math (School District No. 1)	37.5	36.4	1.1%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Columbine Elementary School)	11.1	29.2	18.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	43.6	40.6	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Columbine Elementary School)	12.1	52.6	40.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	42.3	41.2	1.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
All Grades English Language Arts (Columbine Elementary School)	12.6	35.3	22.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	42.8	40.3	2.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Columbine Elementary School)	20	24.4	4.4%
All Grades Math (School District No. 1)	32.7	30.3	2.4%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	248	278	12.1%
African American	111	55	50.5%
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	85	77	9.4%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	38	118	210.5%
Two or More Races	7	24	242.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	79.8%	48.9%	30.9%

Schools Near Columbine Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)						CMAS Math (2024)				CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Columbine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2540 East 29th Ave	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-8510	278	20	13.6	48.9%	118 (42.4%)	55 (19.8%)	77 (27.7%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	24 (8.6%)	19.2	750^th of 943 public elementary schools	20.5%		32.2	590^th of 933 public elementary schools	36.8%	160	23.1	31.6	20.8			26.1	28.0	18.4	12.5	19.5		$18,972
French American School of Denver	Public, Charter	K-5	2350 N. Gaylord Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 506-4589	143	11	13.1	14.7%	100 (69.9%)	14 (9.8%)	10 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (13.3%)	82.2	149^th of 943 public elementary schools	84.2%		44.8	478^th of 933 public elementary schools	48.8%	329	58.3	58.8	84.0			68.2	58.3	44.4	60.0	55.2	56.0	$13,930
International Academy of Denver at Harrington	Public	PK, KG-5	2401 East 37th Avenue	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-6420	171	17	10.1	93.0%	3 (1.8%)	22 (12.9%)	121 (70.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	20 (11.7%)	2 (1.2%)								(n/a)						11.3			13.0	8.7		$23,858
University Prep - Steele St.	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	3230 East 38th Avenue	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 329-8412	287	29	9.8	90.9%	16 (5.6%)	79 (27.5%)	173 (60.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.7%)	2 (0.7%)	11 (3.8%)	23.4	696^th of 943 public elementary schools	26.2%		17.2	771^st of 933 public elementary schools	17.4%	75	14.0	7.1	38.0			20.4	25.0	11.6	42.0	26.9	26.0	$17,524
Cole Arts and Science Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 E 33rd Ave	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9120	255	21	12.0	87.5%	30 (11.8%)	38 (14.9%)	172 (67.5%)	2 (0.8%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	6.9	922^nd of 943 public elementary schools	2.2%		13.7	833^rd of 933 public elementary schools	10.7%	89	13.6	16.7	9.4			13.1				10.0		$20,786
Wyatt Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	3620 Franklin Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-5515	191	13	14.4	89.0%	18 (9.4%)	43 (22.5%)	122 (63.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	5 (2.6%)								(n/a)	34.2					21.2				12.9		$14,223
Whittier Ece-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	2480 Downing Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-3040	219	16	13.3	92.7%	12 (5.5%)	111 (50.7%)	77 (35.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.8%)								(n/a)			22.2	28.0	19.0	16.3				4.1		$19,385
Stedman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2940 Dexter Street	Denver	80207	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-3800	439	26	17.0	42.8%	159 (36.2%)	123 (28.0%)	126 (28.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.8%)	57.9	382^nd of 943 public elementary schools	59.5%		47.7	456^th of 933 public elementary schools	51.1%	74	36.4	56.0	58.0			48.8	43.7	42.3	44.9	43.6	38.3	$17,996
Polaris Elementary School	Public	1-5	410 Park Avenue West	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-7860	328	19	16.9	7.0%	207 (63.1%)	10 (3.0%)	36 (11.0%)	31 (9.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (13.1%)	99.6	1^st of 943 public elementary schools	99.9%		99.6	1^st of 933 public elementary schools	99.9%		95.0	93.0	98.7			95.6	91.4	87.8	94.9	91.4	93.4	$16,270
University Prep - Arapahoe St.	Public, Charter	K-5	2409 Arapahoe Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-0463	280	27	10.3	92.1%	14 (5.0%)	146 (52.1%)	89 (31.8%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (8.6%)	11.4	862^nd of 943 public elementary schools	8.6%		16	792^nd of 933 public elementary schools	15.1%	70	15.6	11.3	20.5			15.3	12.1	23.1	10.0	16.0	12.8	$17,960

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbine Elementary School

Is Columbine Elementary School a good school?

Columbine Elementary School ranks in the bottom 20.5% of Colorado elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Columbine Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : DSST: Cole Middle School
Middle : McAuliffe Manual Middle School
High : Manual High School

What is the racial makeup of Columbine Elementary School?

Students at Columbine Elementary School are 42% White, 28% Hispanic, 20% African American, 9% Two or more races.

How many students attend Columbine Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 278 students attended Columbine Elementary School.

What district is Columbine Elementary School in?

School District No. 1

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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.