Rice Elementary School

Q: Is Rice Elementary School a good school?

Rice Elementary School ranks 359 th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Rice Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Wellington, Colorado, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 455. The school is part of the Poudre School District R-1, which is ranked 11th out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rice Elementary consistently ranks in the top 25% of Colorado elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school has a higher percentage of White students (73.63%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. Despite this, Rice Elementary's performance on CMAS assessments is generally higher than the state and district averages, particularly in English Language Arts and Math. The school also has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (30.77%), which is lower than some of the nearby schools. Additionally, Rice Elementary ranks highly (13th out of 82 Colorado elementary schools) in the performance of its Gifted and Talented students.

While Rice Elementary's overall academic performance is impressive, the school's racial disparity in performance is an area that may warrant further investigation and targeted interventions to ensure equitable outcomes for all students. The school is located within a few miles of several other high-performing elementary schools in the Poudre School District, such as Dunn Elementary and Tavelli Elementary, which may provide opportunities for collaboration and sharing of best practices among the schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

7000 Third Street
Wellington, CO 80549-2400

(970) 488-8700

District: Poudre School District R-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
359^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,719

Students who attend Rice Elementary School usually attend:

Secondary:

Wellington Middle-High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 455

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.6%

Hispanic:

18.9%

Two or more races:

5.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 30.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Rice Elementary School ranks better than 61.9% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 22^nd among 30 ranked elementary schools in the Poudre School District R-1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.64. (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 Rice Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Poudre School District R-1. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rice Elementary School is $15,719. 17 elementary schools in the Poudre School District R-1 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rice Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Rice Elementary School 359^th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Rice Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Poudre School District R-1:

SchoolDigger ranks Poudre School District R-1 11^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rice Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Rice Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2010	71.85	255^th	925	72.4%
2011	68.58	302^nd	935	67.7%
2012	69.10	303^rd	935	67.6%
2013	82.92	134^th	954	86.0%
2014	87.58	84^th	962	91.3%
2015	72.05	225^th	938	76.0%
2016	73.62	215^th	914	76.5%
2017	77.03	192^nd	929	79.3%
2018	78.81	179^th	917	80.5%
2019	77.30	185^th	965	80.8%
2021	76.08	180^th	710	74.6%
2022	73.69	224^th	921	75.7%
2023	72.91	227^th	933	75.7%
2024	60.64	359^th	943	61.9%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	66.53	69^th	308	77.6%
2019	65.66	78^th	332	76.5%
2022	89.44	7^th	203	96.6%
2023	70.38	57^th	265	78.5%
2024	66.23	93^rd	365	74.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Rice Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	79.00	106^th	690	84.6%
2019	68.47	208^th	758	72.6%
2021	74.32	100^th	351	71.5%
2022	61.34	222^nd	595	62.7%
2023	58.15	250^th	642	61.1%
2024	45.68	355^th	684	48.1%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Rice Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	75.99	13^th	82	84.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Rice Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	65.32	197^th	693	71.6%
2019	75.65	156^th	764	79.6%
2021	62.85	157^th	352	55.4%
2022	69.87	170^th	594	71.4%
2023	68.84	182^nd	649	72.0%
2024	54.91	292^nd	683	57.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Rice Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	69.61	149^th	596	75.0%
2022	52.97	216^th	454	52.4%
2023	45.51	289^th	525	45.0%
2024	34.14	379^th	539	29.7%

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

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Enrollment information for Rice Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	258	2	4	48	5	n/a	n/a	317
2009	274	6	1	46	6	n/a	n/a	333
2010	306	8	0	55	4	n/a	n/a	373
2011	319	5	0	66	4	1	2	397
2012	354	3	0	59	2	1	5	424
2013	381	3	0	64	2	1	8	459
2014	381	4	3	53	6	1	7	455
2015	409	1	4	62	6	1	8	491
2016	425	0	3	55	4	1	12	500
2017	450	1	4	45	2	0	14	516
2018	445	2	7	41	2	0	9	506
2019	405	5	6	48	3	0	15	482
2020	396	5	4	58	5	0	14	482
2021	335	5	3	67	3	0	16	429
2022	397	2	2	96	3	1	20	521
2023	335	4	2	86	3	1	24	455

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 Rice Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	317	19.6	16.2	26.8
2009	333	20.9	15.9	26.7
2010	373	22.4	16.6	35.9
2011	397	24.6	16.1	34.5
2012	424	25.7	16.4	31.8
2013	459	27.0	17.0	33.8
2014	455	24.9	18.2	32.1
2015	491	26.0	18.8	34.6
2016	500	28.0	17.8	33
2017	516	27.9	18.4	32
2018	506	29.9	16.8	30.8
2019	482	26.9	17.8	31.1
2020	482	28.9	16.6	35.5
2021	429	27.9	15.3	30.1
2022	521	31.9	16.3	29.2
2023	455	33.5	13.5	30.8

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 Rice Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	317	19.6	16.2	26.8
2009	333	20.9	15.9	26.7
2010	373	22.4	16.6	35.9
2011	397	24.6	16.1	34.5
2012	424	25.7	16.4	31.8
2013	459	27.0	17.0	33.8
2014	455	24.9	18.2	32.1
2015	491	26.0	18.8	34.6
2016	500	28.0	17.8	33
2017	516	27.9	18.4	32
2018	506	29.9	16.8	30.8
2019	482	26.9	17.8	31.1
2020	482	28.9	16.6	35.5
2021	429	27.9	15.3	30.1
2022	521	31.9	16.3	29.2
2023	455	33.5	13.5	30.8

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 Rice Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,728
2020	$10,971
2021	$12,623
2022	$12,631
2023	$15,719

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rice 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 185^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 227^th of 933 Elementary schools	5.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Rice Elementary School)	48.7	49.3	0.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Poudre School District R-1)	55.2	56	0.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Rice Elementary School)	53.8	47.9	5.9%
3rd Grade Math (Poudre School District R-1)	55.2	54.3	0.9%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Rice Elementary School)	79.5	57.5	22%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Poudre School District R-1)	66.6	59.1	7.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Rice Elementary School)	70.8	45.6	25.2%
4th Grade Math (Poudre School District R-1)	53.7	49.4	4.3%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Rice Elementary School)	47.9	45.5	2.4%
5th Grade Science (Poudre School District R-1)	51.7	49.5	2.2%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Rice Elementary School)	59.2	61	1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Poudre School District R-1)	66.4	64.3	2.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Rice Elementary School)	42.3	55.8	13.5%
5th Grade Math (Poudre School District R-1)	54.5	52.6	1.9%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Rice Elementary School)	62.2	56.1	6.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Poudre School District R-1)	60.6	58.7	1.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Rice Elementary School)	55.7	49.8	5.9%
All Grades Math (Poudre School District R-1)	52	49.5	2.5%
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	482	455	5.6%
African American	5	4	20%
American Indian	3	3
Asian	6	2	66.7%
Hispanic	48	86	79.2%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	405	335	17.3%
Two or More Races	15	24	60%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.1%	30.8%	0.4%

Schools Near Rice 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 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 All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Rice Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7000 Third Street	Wellington	80549	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-8700	455	34	13.5	30.8%	335 (73.6%)	4 (0.9%)	86 (18.9%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.3%)	60.6	359^th of 943 public elementary schools	61.9%		72.9	227^th of 933 public elementary schools	75.7%	132	48.3	47.2	53.5			49.8	55.0	34.7	50.7			46.3	36.2		$15,719
Eyestone Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4000 Wilson Avenue	Wellington	80549	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-8600	663	38	17.2	32.1%	511 (77.1%)	4 (0.6%)	111 (16.7%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.4%)	43.1	495^th of 943 public elementary schools	47.5%		44.2	481^st of 933 public elementary schools	48.4%	14	54.8	25.5	41.4			39.8	44.0	32.3	28.7			34.8	34.5		$13,227
Tavelli Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1118 Miramount Drive	Fort Collins	80524	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-6725	555	32	17.3	34.2%	401 (72.3%)	2 (0.4%)	110 (19.8%)	6 (1.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.6%)	84.7	125^th of 943 public elementary schools	86.7%		85.1	119^th of 933 public elementary schools	87.2%	6	61.2	72.3	65.5			66.3	54.1	57.1	62.2			57.9	60.2		$15,009
Laurel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 East Locust Street	Fort Collins	80524	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-5925	464	32	14.3	49.1%	244 (52.6%)	9 (1.9%)	165 (35.6%)	8 (1.7%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.3%)	34.1	569^th of 943 public elementary schools	39.7%		31.1	599^th of 933 public elementary schools	35.8%	30	28.4	35.4	41.1			34.6	26.5	24.2	31.7			27.3	41.0		$16,346
Putnam Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Maple Street	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-7700	306	29	10.6	88.2%	106 (34.6%)	6 (2.0%)	172 (56.2%)	3 (1.0%)	6 (2.0%)	2 (0.7%)	11 (3.6%)	36.1	554^th of 943 public elementary schools	41.3%		25.7	661^st of 933 public elementary schools	29.2%	107	29.4	46.9	57.1			43.6	26.5	25.0	28.6			26.6	21.4		$18,283
Cache La Poudre Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3511 W Cr 54g	Laporte	80535	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-7600	298	19	15.8	32.2%	234 (78.5%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	48.9	460^th of 943 public elementary schools	51.2%		37.8	534^th of 933 public elementary schools	42.8%	74	38.6	52.1	53.5			48.1	34.1	33.3	32.6			33.3	37.2		$16,776
Mountain Sage Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	2310 East Prospect Road Suite	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 568-5456	287	21	13.9	29.6%	237 (82.6%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.9%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.1%)	45.9	481^st of 943 public elementary schools	49.0%		66.4	282^nd of 933 public elementary schools	69.8%	199		66.7	47.6	52.9	68.0	59.0		37.5	15.9	42.9	25.0	28.4	29.3	66.7	$11,820
Harris Bilingual Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 East Elizabeth	Fort Collins	80524	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-5200	315	20	16.0	54.6%	82 (26.0%)	1 (0.3%)	226 (71.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	61	353^rd of 943 public elementary schools	62.6%		57.5	364^th of 933 public elementary schools	61.0%	11	73.1	36.2	45.7			47.9	50.0	50.0	45.7			48.6	40.0		$16,645
Dunn Elementary School	Public	K-5	501 South Washington	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4825	389	27	14.4	22.6%	305 (78.4%)	15 (3.9%)	25 (6.4%)	21 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.9%)	87.9	97^th of 943 public elementary schools	89.7%		85.5	113^th of 933 public elementary schools	87.9%	16	59.7	74.6	78.0			70.7	53.2	64.7	60.0			59.5	71.2		$16,375
Irish Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	515 Irish Drive	Fort Collins	80521	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-6900	341	30	11.3	75.1%	92 (27.0%)	2 (0.6%)	235 (68.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	29.2	622^nd of 943 public elementary schools	34.0%		24	683^rd of 933 public elementary schools	26.8%	61	32.6	43.5	26.2			34.3	28.3	24.5	13.3			22.4	34.1		$18,784

Frequently Asked Questions about Rice Elementary School

Is Rice Elementary School a good school?

Rice Elementary School ranks 359^th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Rice Elementary School in?

Poudre School District R-1

What schools do graduates of Rice Elementary School attend?

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

Secondary : Wellington Middle-High School

What is the racial makeup of Rice Elementary School?

Students at Rice Elementary School are 74% White, 19% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Rice Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 455 students attended Rice Elementary 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.