Ellis Elementary School

Summary:

Ellis Elementary School is a public elementary school in Denver, Colorado, serving 358 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of School District No. 1, which is ranked 78 out of 116 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ellis Elementary School stands out for several key reasons. It has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (59.5%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 10-35% Hispanic. The school also consistently underperforms academically, with only 18.6% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 8.8% proficient or better in Math, compared to the district and state averages. Additionally, Ellis has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 73.6% to 86.87% over the past three years, much higher than the 13.47% to 62.9% range of nearby schools. However, the school does have a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.7 to 13.4.

Compared to nearby schools like Bradley International School, Creativity Challenge Community, and Cory Elementary School, Ellis Elementary School is significantly underperforming. These nearby schools have much higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math, as well as lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. The high poverty rates and racial demographics at Ellis may be contributing factors to its declining performance over the past several years, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1651 South Dahlia Street
Denver, CO 80222-3817

(720) 424-7700

District: School District No. 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
905^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,983

Students who attend Ellis Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Merrill Middle School
High:	Thomas Jefferson High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 358

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.5%

White:

23.5%

African American:

9.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ellis Elementary School ranks worse than 96% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 89^th among 94 ranked elementary schools in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.5. (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 Ellis 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 Ellis Elementary School is $20,983, which is the 10^th highest among 94 elementary schools in the School District No. 1.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ellis 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:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Ellis Elementary School.

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Rank History for Ellis Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	23.71	649^th	808	19.7%
2005	14.37	719^th	823	12.6%
2006	7.52	772^nd	829	6.9%
2007	9.66	783^rd	852	8.1%
2008	7.05	803^rd	849	5.4%
2009	8.12	810^th	872	7.1%
2010	11.35	830^th	925	10.3%
2011	16.76	799^th	935	14.5%
2012	17.77	783^rd	935	16.3%
2013	18.74	790^th	954	17.2%
2014	25.55	735^th	962	23.6%
2015	30.17	624^th	938	33.5%
2016	18.96	742^nd	914	18.8%
2017	30.65	629^th	929	32.3%
2018	19.27	739^th	917	19.4%
2019	7.73	936^th	965	3.0%
2022	37.59	532^nd	921	42.2%
2023	19.94	734^th	933	21.3%
2024	8.50	905^th	943	4.0%

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%

by a parent
Thursday, February 27, 2020

Ellis Elementary is a terrific school dedicated to it's students, teachers, families and community. Overall, the teachers are truly what makes the difference and sets this school apart. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, June 22, 2017

My daughter has had a great experience at Ellis. Overall her teachers have been excellent there and I really like the new principal. They have a lot of events to welcome in families and we feel like part of a really unique and diverse community. She has gotten to know kids from all different backgrounds, which is very important to me. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ellis Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	177	146	17	136	5	n/a	n/a	481
1989	173	103	9	102	4	n/a	n/a	391
1990	187	101	16	107	5	n/a	n/a	416
1991	204	94	12	113	10	n/a	n/a	433
1992	190	82	19	143	5	n/a	n/a	439
1993	200	98	26	167	8	n/a	n/a	499
1994	215	118	33	176	7	n/a	n/a	549
1995	184	100	23	202	7	n/a	n/a	516
1996	184	100	23	202	7	n/a	n/a	516
1997	311	81	32	123	6	n/a	n/a	553
1998	314	84	35	150	8	n/a	n/a	591
1999	320	85	41	179	9	n/a	n/a	634
2000	273	81	44	200	8	n/a	n/a	606
2001	236	55	39	212	3	n/a	n/a	545
2002	170	71	41	253	3	n/a	n/a	538
2003	170	71	41	253	3	n/a	n/a	538
2004	120	64	36	259	8	n/a	n/a	487
2005	114	87	26	288	4	n/a	n/a	519
2006	122	82	25	295	8	n/a	n/a	532
2007	154	68	30	285	8	n/a	n/a	545
2008	149	55	28	301	10	n/a	n/a	543
2009	180	64	33	320	4	n/a	n/a	601
2010	188	47	26	300	5	n/a	n/a	566
2011	140	64	34	335	4	1	9	587
2012	156	78	33	329	2	1	20	619
2013	151	75	25	298	3	1	26	579
2014	140	50	28	296	1	1	21	537
2015	146	55	26	311	3	4	13	558
2016	145	45	20	286	1	3	14	514
2017	129	56	20	258	2	2	10	477
2018	122	37	16	251	1	0	19	446
2019	125	50	15	228	3	0	14	435
2020	106	44	10	214	3	0	11	388
2021	93	40	12	185	3	0	8	341
2022	86	54	12	197	5	0	21	375
2023	84	35	10	213	3	0	13	358

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 Ellis Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	481	30.3	15.8	n/a
1989	391	27.2	14.3	42.2
1990	416	27.1	15.3	44
1991	433	27.1	15.9	39
1992	439	25.2	17.4	46.9
1993	499	27.7	18.0	43.1
1994	549	32.9	16.7	48.8
1995	516	30.4	17.0	54.1
1996	516	30.4	17.0	54.1
1997	553	23.6	23.4	33.3
1998	591	25.2	23.5	35.2
1999	634	28.9	21.9	36.6
2000	606	31.5	19.2	52.6
2001	545	32.5	16.8	54.9
2002	538	33.0	16.3	63
2003	538	33.0	16.3	63
2004	487	29.2	16.7	61.8
2005	519	27.7	18.7	70.9
2006	532	27.4	19.4	83.6
2007	545	30.0	18.2	78.5
2008	543	29.5	18.4	83.1
2009	601	34.0	17.7	85.5
2010	566	34.3	16.4	85
2011	587	37.7	15.5	89.4
2012	619	32.5	19.0	86.3
2013	579	35.5	16.2	89.1
2014	537	36.7	14.6	92.7
2015	558	37.0	15.0	90.9
2016	514	38.0	13.5	85.2
2017	477	32.1	14.8	87.8
2018	446	33.3	13.3	83
2019	435	30.6	14.1	82.8
2020	388	30.8	12.5	78.9
2021	341	31.6	10.7	78.9
2022	375	28.5	13.1	73.6
2023	358	26.6	13.4	86.9

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 Ellis Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	481	30.3	15.8	n/a
1989	391	27.2	14.3	42.2
1990	416	27.1	15.3	44
1991	433	27.1	15.9	39
1992	439	25.2	17.4	46.9
1993	499	27.7	18.0	43.1
1994	549	32.9	16.7	48.8
1995	516	30.4	17.0	54.1
1996	516	30.4	17.0	54.1
1997	553	23.6	23.4	33.3
1998	591	25.2	23.5	35.2
1999	634	28.9	21.9	36.6
2000	606	31.5	19.2	52.6
2001	545	32.5	16.8	54.9
2002	538	33.0	16.3	63
2003	538	33.0	16.3	63
2004	487	29.2	16.7	61.8
2005	519	27.7	18.7	70.9
2006	532	27.4	19.4	83.6
2007	545	30.0	18.2	78.5
2008	543	29.5	18.4	83.1
2009	601	34.0	17.7	85.5
2010	566	34.3	16.4	85
2011	587	37.7	15.5	89.4
2012	619	32.5	19.0	86.3
2013	579	35.5	16.2	89.1
2014	537	36.7	14.6	92.7
2015	558	37.0	15.0	90.9
2016	514	38.0	13.5	85.2
2017	477	32.1	14.8	87.8
2018	446	33.3	13.3	83
2019	435	30.6	14.1	82.8
2020	388	30.8	12.5	78.9
2021	341	31.6	10.7	78.9
2022	375	28.5	13.1	73.6
2023	358	26.6	13.4	86.9

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 Ellis Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$13,966
2020	$16,398
2021	$18,389
2022	$19,252
2023	$20,983

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ellis 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 936^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 734^th of 933 Elementary schools	18.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ellis Elementary School)	8.3	43.5	35.2%
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 (Ellis Elementary School)	9.4	22.7	13.3%
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 (Ellis Elementary School)	33.3	25	8.3%
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%
4th Grade Math (Ellis Elementary School)	13.8	5.8	8%
4th Grade Math (School District No. 1)	31.2	29	2.2%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Ellis Elementary School)	5.1	10.5	5.4%
5th Grade Science (School District No. 1)	25.9	26.2	0.3%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ellis Elementary School)	8.2	35.3	27.1%
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%
5th Grade Math (Ellis Elementary School)	8.3	23.1	14.8%
5th Grade Math (School District No. 1)	34.9	33.2	1.7%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Ellis Elementary School)	14.8	34.6	19.8%
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 (Ellis Elementary School)	10.5	16.3	5.8%
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	435	358	17.7%
African American	50	35	30%
American Indian	3	3
Asian	15	10	33.3%
Hispanic	228	213	6.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	125	84	32.8%
Two or More Races	14	13	7.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	82.8%	86.9%	4.1%

Schools Near Ellis 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 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
Ellis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1651 South Dahlia Street	Denver	80222	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-7700	358	27	13.4	86.9%	84 (23.5%)	35 (9.8%)	213 (59.5%)	10 (2.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	8.5	905^th of 943 public elementary schools	4.0%		19.9	734^th of 933 public elementary schools	21.3%	171	17.4	12.0	22.4				18.6	6.8	8.3	10.9				8.8	12.7		$20,983
Highline Academy Southeast	Public, Charter	K-8	2170 South Dahlia Street	Denver	80222	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 759-7808	531	44	12.1	45.4%	245 (46.1%)	140 (26.4%)	112 (21.1%)	14 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.6%)	57.9	383^rd of 943 public elementary schools	59.4%		63.1	318^th of 933 public elementary schools	65.9%	65	72.0	50.0	50.9	58.1	66.7	68.9	61.0	45.1	28.6	32.7	37.5	38.3	58.3	40.2	32.7	43.3	$13,142
Creativity Challenge Community	Public	K-5	1551 S. Monroe St	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-0630	297	17	17.0	13.5%	222 (74.7%)	9 (3.0%)	38 (12.8%)	6 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.1%)	93.4	38^th of 943 public elementary schools	96.0%		90.8	67^th of 933 public elementary schools	92.8%	29	87.0	61.9	72.5				74.2	73.9	69.0	75.0				72.7	70.0		$15,926
Cory Elementary School	Public	1-5	1550 South Steele Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-8380	400	24	16.6	14.8%	280 (70.0%)	13 (3.3%)	40 (10.0%)	21 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (11.5%)	96.1	22^nd of 943 public elementary schools	97.7%		95.5	25^th of 933 public elementary schools	97.3%	3	68.7	77.3	82.2				75.8	75.6	78.4	78.1				77.3	80.6		$16,114
McMeen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 South Holly Street	Denver	80246	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-5520	561	36	15.4	65.4%	179 (31.9%)	110 (19.6%)	200 (35.7%)	15 (2.7%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.4%)	17.4	771^st of 943 public elementary schools	18.2%		11.2	870^th of 933 public elementary schools	6.8%	99	34.4	21.0	24.6				26.6	32.1	9.2	13.3				18.1	14.7		$16,590
University Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	2300 South St Paul Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-3410	385	26	14.9	28.1%	239 (62.1%)	31 (8.1%)	67 (17.4%)	14 (3.6%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	82.8	144^th of 943 public elementary schools	84.7%		81.2	154^th of 933 public elementary schools	83.5%	10	47.5	56.9	74.0				58.6	60.7	66.7	58.8				62.2	67.3		$17,251
Place Bridge Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	7125 Cherry Creek Drive North	Denver	80224	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0960	746	52	14.3	93.2%	77 (10.3%)	235 (31.5%)	328 (44.0%)	75 (10.1%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	24 (3.2%)	8.3	908^th of 943 public elementary schools	3.7%		12.8	844^th of 933 public elementary schools	9.5%	64	14.3	19.4	18.6	18.2	19.0	13.1	17.0	12.2	11.3	8.1	6.4	8.3	9.3	9.1	6.6	9.1	$19,073
Stephen Knight Center for Early Education	Public	PK-K	3245 East Exposition Avenue	Denver	80209	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-6500	309	25	12.2	21.7%	202 (65.4%)	30 (9.7%)	43 (13.9%)	10 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (7.1%)								(n/a)																	$20,533
Bradley International School	Public	PK, KG-5	3051 South Elm Street	Denver	80222	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-9468	556	33	16.9	36.3%	297 (53.4%)	58 (10.4%)	122 (21.9%)	23 (4.1%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (9.4%)	69.6	267^th of 943 public elementary schools	71.7%		82.6	142^nd of 933 public elementary schools	84.8%	125	56.3	50.8	56.1				54.4	54.7	47.6	41.5				47.9	50.8		$17,080
Holly Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6161 East Cornell Avenue	Denver	80222	Denver County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 747-2500	504	37	13.7	62.9%	187 (37.1%)	69 (13.7%)	166 (32.9%)	20 (4.0%)	5 (1.0%)	4 (0.8%)	53 (10.5%)	22	712^th of 943 public elementary schools	24.5%		38.2	532^nd of 933 public elementary schools	43.0%	180	23.5	28.4	31.0				27.5	30.3	19.5	24.1				24.6	20.0		$18,727

Frequently Asked Questions about Ellis Elementary School

How many students attend Ellis Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 358 students attended Ellis Elementary School.

Is Ellis Elementary School a good school?

Ellis Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.0% of Colorado elementary schools.

What district is Ellis Elementary School in?

School District No. 1

What schools do graduates of Ellis Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Merrill Middle School
High : Thomas Jefferson High School

What is the racial makeup of Ellis Elementary School?

Students at Ellis Elementary School are 59% Hispanic, 23% White, 10% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.