Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Q: Is Downtown Denver Expeditionary School a good school?

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School ranks 471 st of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School is a public charter elementary school serving 259 students in grades K-5 in Denver, Colorado. 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.

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School has a diverse student population, with 55.21% White, 28.96% Hispanic, and 6.18% African American students. The school's academic performance is in the middle range for Colorado, ranking between 304 and 471 out of 917 to 943 schools over the past several years. Its test scores in English Language Arts and Math are generally higher than the district and state averages, particularly in 5th grade. However, the school has seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 26.64% in 2021-2022 to 32.05% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of students from lower-income families.

Compared to nearby schools, Downtown Denver Expeditionary School has a higher percentage of White students and a lower percentage of African American and Hispanic students. While its overall academic performance is in the middle range, it outperforms the nearby schools in several key areas, such as 5th-grade ELA and Math proficiency. One nearby school, Polaris Elementary School, stands out as an exceptional performer, ranking 1st out of all Colorado elementary schools and achieving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, suggesting the potential for even greater academic achievement in the region.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-5

1860 Lincoln St
Denver, CO 80203

(720) 424-2350

District: School District No. 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
471^st of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,645

Student/teacher ratio: 13.8

Number of students: 259

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.2%

Hispanic:

29.0%

Two or more races:

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Downtown Denver Expeditionary School ranks better than 50.1% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 34^th among 94 ranked elementary schools in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.58. (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 Downtown Denver Expeditionary 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 Downtown Denver Expeditionary School is $15,645. 93 elementary schools in the School District No. 1 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Downtown Denver Expeditionary School 471^st of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Downtown Denver Expeditionary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

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 Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

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Rank History for all students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2016	50.12	413^th	914	54.8%
2017	60.70	316^th	929	66.0%
2018	62.64	304^th	917	66.8%
2019	59.38	371^st	965	61.6%
2022	51.22	421^st	921	54.3%
2023	47.43	462^nd	933	50.5%
2024	47.58	471^st	943	50.1%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	67.54	65^th	308	78.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	50.63	309^th	690	55.2%
2019	51.82	336^th	758	55.7%
2024	46.67	342^nd	684	50.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	57.91	249^th	693	64.1%
2019	54.01	319^th	764	58.2%
2024	35.76	418^th	683	38.8%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	48.70	119^th	270	55.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	70.74	87^th	337	74.2%
2019	71.49	138^th	596	76.8%
2022	47.43	251^st	454	44.7%
2023	41.18	319^th	525	39.2%
2024	38.28	350^th	539	35.1%

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.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

We could not be more thrilled with our experience at DDES. The level of care, support, and love that is poured into the kids is more than we could ask for. The emphasis on growth-oriented skills and mindsets, the positive environment, teaching the kids to support each other, the adventures and fieldwork, the encouragement to tackle and work through challenges... all of it has resulted in our 1st grader loving school and the friends she’s making, and feeling proud of herself for working hard and learning new things. We are so happy and grateful we landed at DDES! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	111	13	5	26	0	1	19	175
2015	180	19	6	57	1	0	22	285
2016	222	34	8	69	2	0	24	359
2017	245	37	11	76	2	0	31	402
2018	249	33	9	74	2	3	35	405
2019	246	33	8	74	1	1	38	401
2020	217	29	3	61	1	1	32	344
2021	182	28	5	60	1	0	26	302
2022	160	17	3	57	1	0	36	274
2023	143	16	2	75	0	0	23	259

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 Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	175	8.3	20.9	29.1
2015	285	16.0	17.8	29.5
2016	359	18.0	19.9	30.1
2017	402	18.8	21.3	22.6
2018	405	19.5	20.7	23.2
2019	401	26.0	15.3	22.7
2020	344	21.1	16.2	28.8
2021	302	18.1	16.6	29.5
2022	274	20.6	13.2	26.6
2023	259	18.7	13.8	32

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 Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	175	8.3	20.9	29.1
2015	285	16.0	17.8	29.5
2016	359	18.0	19.9	30.1
2017	402	18.8	21.3	22.6
2018	405	19.5	20.7	23.2
2019	401	26.0	15.3	22.7
2020	344	21.1	16.2	28.8
2021	302	18.1	16.6	29.5
2022	274	20.6	13.2	26.6
2023	259	18.7	13.8	32

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 Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,950
2020	$9,998
2021	$10,799
2022	$12,611
2023	$15,645

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Downtown Denver Expeditionary 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 371^st of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 462^nd of 933 Elementary schools	11.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	57.4	31	26.4%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	35.2	47.6	12.4%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	52.6	50	2.6%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	19.7	20.8	1.1%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	42.5	26.7	15.8%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	63.7	53.1	10.6%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	46.3	43.8	2.5%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	58.1	44.4	13.7%
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 (Downtown Denver Expeditionary School)	33.8	35.4	1.6%
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	401	259	35.4%
African American	33	16	51.5%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	8	2	75%
Hispanic	74	75	1.4%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	246	143	41.9%
Two or More Races	38	23	39.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.7%	32%	9.4%

Schools Near Downtown Denver Expeditionary 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
Downtown Denver Expeditionary School	Public, Charter	K-5	1860 Lincoln St	Denver	80203	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 424-2350	259	19	13.8	32.0%	143 (55.2%)	16 (6.2%)	75 (29.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.9%)	47.6	471^st of 943 public elementary schools	50.1%		47.4	462^nd of 933 public elementary schools	50.5%	9	43.5	41.0	52.1			45.9	58.7	25.6	32.0	39.3	24.5	$15,645
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
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
Center for Talent Development at Greenlee	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 Lipan Street	Denver	80204	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-6800	277	21	13.2	86.3%	38 (13.7%)	73 (26.4%)	144 (52.0%)	6 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.8%)	15	807^th of 943 public elementary schools	14.4%		11.5	869^th of 933 public elementary schools	6.9%	62	15.6	17.5	36.0			21.6		15.0		9.3		$20,068
Dora Moore Ece-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	846 Corona Street	Denver	80218	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-5300	316	22	14.3	61.7%	102 (32.3%)	64 (20.3%)	112 (35.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.8%)	25.6	670^th of 943 public elementary schools	29.0%		23.1	695^th of 933 public elementary schools	25.5%	25	22.2	37.5	41.7	15.8		33.8	25.0	31.3	10.8	18.7	25.7	$18,318
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

Is Downtown Denver Expeditionary School a good school?

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School ranks 471^st of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Downtown Denver Expeditionary School?

Students at Downtown Denver Expeditionary School are 55% White, 29% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% African American.

What district is Downtown Denver Expeditionary School in?

School District No. 1

How many students attend Downtown Denver Expeditionary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 259 students attended Downtown Denver Expeditionary 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.