Cougar Run Elementary School

Summary:

Cougar Run Elementary School is a high-performing public elementary school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, serving 344 students in grades K-6. As part of the highly-ranked Douglas County School District No. Re 1, Cougar Run consistently ranks among the top 20% of Colorado elementary schools, currently placing 130th out of 943 schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

Cougar Run Elementary stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outpacing the district and state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 70% of Cougar Run students were proficient or better in CMAS/English Language Arts, compared to 62.3% for the district and 44.1% for the state. The school also demonstrates strong performance across different student subgroups, ranking highly for both female and male students, as well as white students.

While Cougar Run Elementary has a slightly higher chronic absenteeism rate than the state average, it is still lower than some nearby schools in the district, such as Heritage Elementary and Summit View Elementary, which have even higher academic performance and lower chronic absenteeism rates. Additionally, Cougar Run serves a relatively affluent student population, with a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch compared to the state average.


Detail:

Public K-6

 8780 Venneford Ranch Road
       Highlands Ranch, CO  80126-5046


(303) 387-6675

District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
130th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,514 Help


Students who attend Cougar Run Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Cresthill Middle School
High:    Highlands Ranch High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.2 Help
Number of students:  344

Racial breakdown:

White:
70.6%
Hispanic:
15.1%
Two or more races:
7.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  13.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cougar Run Elementary School ranks better than 86.2% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 23rd among 58 ranked elementary schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.26. (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 Cougar Run Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cougar Run Elementary School is $18,514, which is the 3rd highest among 58 elementary schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cougar Run Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cougar Run Elementary School 130th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Cougar Run Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Douglas County School District No. Re 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Douglas County School District No. Re 1 5th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Cougar Run Elementary School?

Rank History for Cougar Run Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cougar Run Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 83.67 111th 808 86.3%
2005 80.75 122nd 823 85.2%
2006 75.65 181st 829 78.2%
2007 78.85 150th 852 82.4%
2008 79.68 148th 849 82.6%
2009 76.94 187th 872 78.6%
2010 82.06 142nd 925 84.6%
2011 83.30 131st 935 86.0%
2012 85.46 105th 935 88.8%
2013 85.48 111th 954 88.4%
2014 82.70 142nd 962 85.2%
2015 82.99 133rd 938 85.8%
2016 76.85 175th 914 80.9%
2017 77.80 182nd 929 80.4%
2018 81.40 155th 917 83.1%
2019 83.42 132nd 965 86.3%
2021 81.44 139th 710 80.4%
2022 82.21 142nd 921 84.6%
2023 77.72 184th 933 80.3%
2024 84.26 130th 943 86.2%
See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Cougar Run Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.26 176th 690 74.5%
2019 80.49 115th 758 84.8%
2021 76.94 85th 351 75.8%
2022 84.11 72nd 595 87.9%
2023 76.52 128th 642 80.1%
2024 79.09 116th 684 83.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cougar Run Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.73 128th 693 81.5%
2019 73.37 171st 764 77.6%
2021 64.30 147th 352 58.2%
2022 64.13 197th 594 66.8%
2023 63.45 214th 649 67.0%
2024 78.60 124th 683 81.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Cougar Run Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 70.13 146th 596 75.5%
2021 69.55 96th 288 66.7%
2022 73.83 102nd 454 77.5%
2023 69.11 144th 525 72.6%
2024 71.55 123rd 539 77.2%
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.

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







Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

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100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Open Quote Horrible bullying at this school. It was brought to the attention of the staff and they did nothing to stop it. These classrooms are overpacked. Although we did have a couple very pleasant teachers for my older child, one of the teachers we did have for my younger child for Kindergarten was TERRIBLE. I was tempted to pull my student out of school because the teacher was so unprofessional. She lost my child about 3 times! I don't understand how that even happens... My kindergarten student was scarred for life from the neglect of the staff. The Kindergarten teacher even forgot about my student during the graduation ceremony and it broke his heart. We ended up moving out of Highlands Ranch to get our children into a better school. If it weren't for the horrible experiences we witnessed at this school we would still be living in the community. The principle is very cold and seems to hate his job/role at this school. When I would inquire about questions or explanations of events that transpired here he would act like I was wasting his time and never answered my questions. I DO NOT recommend this school to anyone! They also forcibly held down my kindergartner for 2+ minutes and when I wanted to review the videotapes they refused. Seems like there are some very questionable staff members there that are harming/abusing the children without the parents knowledge. Very scary world we live in. If you want to keep your children safe, I do not recommend this school. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Cougar Run Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1997 381 7 13 11 10 n/a n/a 0 422
1998 571 18 29 32 7 n/a n/a 0 657
1999 654 19 38 38 6 n/a n/a 0 755
2000 659 16 34 40 8 n/a n/a 0 757
2001 525 14 32 27 5 n/a n/a 0 603
2002 543 8 42 47 6 n/a n/a 0 646
2003 543 8 42 47 6 n/a n/a 0 646
2004 550 7 43 36 6 n/a n/a 0 642
2005 508 14 48 40 5 n/a n/a 0 615
2006 472 12 51 45 2 n/a n/a 0 582
2007 473 10 51 45 1 n/a n/a 0 580
2008 457 12 54 43 1 n/a n/a 0 567
2009 467 15 52 50 2 n/a n/a 0 586
2010 461 8 58 59 1 n/a n/a 0 587
2011 435 6 44 60 2 2 19 0 568
2012 406 5 40 66 4 1 21 0 543
2013 390 6 35 65 4 1 21 0 522
2014 389 8 30 65 1 1 23 0 517
2015 382 5 26 74 5 1 26 0 519
2016 403 4 30 69 4 2 27 0 539
2017 383 7 22 84 3 0 27 0 526
2018 384 6 16 74 2 0 23 0 505
2019 343 11 18 53 2 0 29 0 456
2020 336 11 18 53 2 0 21 0 441
2021 299 5 25 51 0 0 28 0 408
2022 264 3 25 44 1 0 27 0 364
2023 243 3 20 52 1 0 25 0 344

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 Cougar Run Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 422 22.4 18.8 0.9
1998 657 29.0 22.7 0.9
1999 755 36.3 20.8 1.1
2000 757 44.2 17.1 3.4
2001 603 35.0 17.2 2
2002 646 36.8 17.6 2.8
2003 646 36.8 17.6 2.8
2004 642 34.6 18.6 5
2005 615 35.5 17.3 4.2
2006 582 33.0 17.6 5.5
2007 580 30.4 19.1 4
2008 567 32.2 17.6 6.5
2009 586 31.3 18.7 6.1
2010 587 29.0 20.2 5.5
2011 568 25.0 22.7 9.7
2012 543 25.4 21.3 8.8
2013 522 24.0 21.7 10.5
2014 517 24.4 21.1 9.9
2015 519 25.0 20.7 11
2016 539 27.0 19.9 13.4
2017 526 27.5 19.1 13.3
2018 505 27.5 18.3 13.1
2019 456 25.0 18.2 11.4
2020 441 25.0 17.6 11.1
2021 408 25.0 16.3 13
2022 364 20.5 17.7 12.1
2023 344 20.0 17.2 13.4

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 Cougar Run Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 422 22.4 18.8 0.9
1998 657 29.0 22.7 0.9
1999 755 36.3 20.8 1.1
2000 757 44.2 17.1 3.4
2001 603 35.0 17.2 2
2002 646 36.8 17.6 2.8
2003 646 36.8 17.6 2.8
2004 642 34.6 18.6 5
2005 615 35.5 17.3 4.2
2006 582 33.0 17.6 5.5
2007 580 30.4 19.1 4
2008 567 32.2 17.6 6.5
2009 586 31.3 18.7 6.1
2010 587 29.0 20.2 5.5
2011 568 25.0 22.7 9.7
2012 543 25.4 21.3 8.8
2013 522 24.0 21.7 10.5
2014 517 24.4 21.1 9.9
2015 519 25.0 20.7 11
2016 539 27.0 19.9 13.4
2017 526 27.5 19.1 13.3
2018 505 27.5 18.3 13.1
2019 456 25.0 18.2 11.4
2020 441 25.0 17.6 11.1
2021 408 25.0 16.3 13
2022 364 20.5 17.7 12.1
2023 344 20.0 17.2 13.4

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 Cougar Run Elementary School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $13,345
2020 $13,881
2021 $14,135
2022 $16,104
2023 $18,514

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Cougar Run 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 132nd of 965 Elementary schoolsRanks 184th of 933 Elementary schools
 6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cougar Run Elementary School)64.960
 4.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)5258
 6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)41.339.9
 1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Cougar Run Elementary School)63.550
 13.5%
   3rd Grade Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)52.659.4
 6.8%
   3rd Grade Math (Colorado)4140.4
 0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cougar Run Elementary School)72.280.4
 8.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)5959.2
 0.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)4843.8
 4.2%
4th Grade Math (Cougar Run Elementary School)58.344.2
 14.1%
   4th Grade Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)44.748.8
 4.1%
   4th Grade Math (Colorado)33.632.7
 0.9%
5th Grade Science (Cougar Run Elementary School)52.548.7
 3.8%
   5th Grade Science (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)47.750.7
 3%
   5th Grade Science (Colorado)35.933.9
 2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cougar Run Elementary School)6171.8
 10.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)59.164.5
 5.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)48.447.8
 0.6%
5th Grade Math (Cougar Run Elementary School)47.538.5
 9%
   5th Grade Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)44.852.4
 7.6%
   5th Grade Math (Colorado)35.736.5
 0.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Cougar Run Elementary School)60.464.7
 4.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)60.365.1
 4.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)43.643.4
 0.2%
6th Grade Math (Cougar Run Elementary School)45.844
 1.8%
   6th Grade Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)45.147.7
 2.6%
   6th Grade Math (Colorado)29.528.2
 1.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Cougar Run Elementary School)65.268.9
 3.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)56.761.6
 4.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)45.843.7
 2.1%
All Grades Math (Cougar Run Elementary School)54.944.7
 10.2%
   All Grades Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)46.550.7
 4.2%
   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 Students456344
 24.6%
African American113
 72.7%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian1820
 11.1%
Hispanic5352
 1.9%
Pacific Islander00
White343243
 29.2%
Two or More Races2925
 13.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients11.4%13.4%
 2%


Schools Near Cougar Run Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Cougar Run Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 344 students attended Cougar Run Elementary School.

Students who attend Cougar Run Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cresthill Middle School
High : Highlands Ranch High School

Students at Cougar Run Elementary School are 71% White, 15% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

Cougar Run Elementary School ranks 130th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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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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