North Star Elementary School

Summary:

North Star Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district in Denver, Colorado, with a student population of 361 that is predominantly Hispanic (78.95%).

North Star Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Colorado elementary schools, with 0 or 1 out of 5 stars in recent years. The school significantly underperforms compared to district and state averages on standardized tests, with only 16.9% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 8% proficient or better in math. North Star also has an extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 79.44% to 86.98% in recent years, indicating a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students. However, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 16, suggesting additional resources for individualized attention.

When compared to nearby schools, North Star Elementary stands out as an outlier. While the school has a predominantly Hispanic student population, nearby schools like Sherrelwood Elementary School and STEM Launch have more diverse racial makeups. Additionally, these nearby schools, as well as others like McElwain Elementary School and Thornton Elementary School, have significantly better test scores and higher school rankings than North Star Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

8740 North Star Drive
Denver, CO 80221-4322

(720) 972-5560

District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,789

Students who attend North Star Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Thornton Middle School
High:	Northglenn High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 361

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

78.9%

White:

10.0%

African American:

6.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details North Star Elementary School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.88. (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 North Star Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at North Star Elementary School is $18,789, which is the 2^nd highest among 32 elementary schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Adams 12 Five Star Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Adams 12 Five Star Schools 53^rd of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for North Star Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at North Star Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	7.01	756^th	808	6.4%
2005	3.95	796^th	823	3.3%
2006	4.56	798^th	829	3.7%
2007	4.25	822^nd	852	3.5%
2008	3.59	828^th	849	2.5%
2009	8.85	805^th	872	7.7%
2010	8.41	855^th	925	7.6%
2011	11.09	839^th	935	10.3%
2012	9.16	863^rd	935	7.7%
2013	5.29	921^st	954	3.5%
2014	9.60	900^th	962	6.4%
2015	10.64	896^th	938	4.5%
2016	7.45	897^th	914	1.9%
2017	9.49	890^th	929	4.2%
2018	10.60	868^th	917	5.3%
2019	11.87	886^th	965	8.2%
2021	11.19	681^st	710	4.1%
2022	15.41	789^th	921	14.3%
2023	11.88	862^nd	933	7.6%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at North Star Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	11.24	711^th	758	6.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at North Star Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	8.51	738^th	764	3.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at North Star Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	23.33	232^nd	270	14.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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: 4)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for North Star Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	425	21	8	172	3	n/a	n/a	629
1989	375	20	10	145	4	n/a	n/a	554
1990	326	23	8	142	7	n/a	n/a	506
1991	349	21	10	148	10	n/a	n/a	538
1992	357	14	9	154	9	n/a	n/a	543
1993	325	15	19	150	10	n/a	n/a	519
1994	312	19	19	177	13	n/a	n/a	540
1995	298	13	13	186	4	n/a	n/a	514
1996	298	13	13	186	4	n/a	n/a	514
1997	261	17	20	217	8	n/a	n/a	523
1998	246	26	23	217	7	n/a	n/a	519
1999	238	30	32	242	4	n/a	n/a	546
2000	210	28	30	284	3	n/a	n/a	555
2001	228	24	31	344	10	n/a	n/a	637
2002	146	22	19	312	13	n/a	n/a	512
2003	146	22	19	312	13	n/a	n/a	512
2004	136	17	17	322	11	n/a	n/a	503
2005	107	18	12	388	7	n/a	n/a	532
2006	86	11	10	390	7	n/a	n/a	504
2007	77	10	7	371	3	n/a	n/a	468
2008	92	14	12	370	6	n/a	n/a	494
2009	81	16	9	393	6	n/a	n/a	505
2010	71	19	5	369	7	n/a	n/a	471
2011	83	6	2	374	2	0	2	469
2012	65	17	2	373	4	0	6	467
2013	71	17	2	371	5	0	5	471
2014	47	15	3	383	2	0	6	456
2015	53	22	4	382	1	0	8	470
2016	47	17	6	375	3	0	16	464
2017	57	27	5	396	3	2	9	499
2018	36	25	7	359	1	0	10	438
2019	37	30	7	362	3	2	8	449
2020	47	22	7	326	2	3	11	418
2021	38	18	9	288	2	2	8	365
2022	39	25	8	279	1	1	7	360
2023	36	24	10	285	0	0	6	361

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 North Star Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	629	38.0	16.5	n/a
1989	554	32.5	17.0	48.9
1990	506	32.4	15.6	51.2
1991	538	31.1	17.2	53.2
1992	543	31.5	17.2	53.2
1993	519	32.1	16.2	48.7
1994	540	32.8	16.5	55
1995	514	32.3	15.9	49.6
1996	514	32.3	15.9	49.6
1997	523	31.2	16.8	51.6
1998	519	32.6	15.9	55.7
1999	546	33.1	16.5	59.2
2000	555	38.4	14.5	60
2001	637	37.0	17.2	64.8
2002	512	33.7	15.2	75.2
2003	512	33.7	15.2	75.2
2004	503	34.6	14.5	80.9
2005	532	36.2	14.7	82.3
2006	504	34.7	14.5	86.1
2007	468	31.6	14.8	87
2008	494	31.3	15.8	83.4
2009	505	31.3	16.1	83.4
2010	471	31.2	15.0	90.2
2011	469	30.1	15.5	91
2012	467	29.6	15.7	89.9
2013	471	26.0	18.1	91.1
2014	456	27.0	16.8	92.3
2015	470	28.0	16.7	89.1
2016	464	28.0	16.5	86.2
2017	499	26.0	19.1	79.4
2018	438	24.7	17.6	81.5
2019	449	26.0	17.2	82.2
2020	418	25.3	16.5	83.5
2021	365	24.5	14.8	83.6
2022	360	22.0	16.3	79.4
2023	361	22.5	16.0	87

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 North Star Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	629	38.0	16.5	n/a
1989	554	32.5	17.0	48.9
1990	506	32.4	15.6	51.2
1991	538	31.1	17.2	53.2
1992	543	31.5	17.2	53.2
1993	519	32.1	16.2	48.7
1994	540	32.8	16.5	55
1995	514	32.3	15.9	49.6
1996	514	32.3	15.9	49.6
1997	523	31.2	16.8	51.6
1998	519	32.6	15.9	55.7
1999	546	33.1	16.5	59.2
2000	555	38.4	14.5	60
2001	637	37.0	17.2	64.8
2002	512	33.7	15.2	75.2
2003	512	33.7	15.2	75.2
2004	503	34.6	14.5	80.9
2005	532	36.2	14.7	82.3
2006	504	34.7	14.5	86.1
2007	468	31.6	14.8	87
2008	494	31.3	15.8	83.4
2009	505	31.3	16.1	83.4
2010	471	31.2	15.0	90.2
2011	469	30.1	15.5	91
2012	467	29.6	15.7	89.9
2013	471	26.0	18.1	91.1
2014	456	27.0	16.8	92.3
2015	470	28.0	16.7	89.1
2016	464	28.0	16.5	86.2
2017	499	26.0	19.1	79.4
2018	438	24.7	17.6	81.5
2019	449	26.0	17.2	82.2
2020	418	25.3	16.5	83.5
2021	365	24.5	14.8	83.6
2022	360	22.0	16.3	79.4
2023	361	22.5	16.0	87

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 North Star Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,216
2020	$14,112
2021	$16,552
2022	$17,379
2023	$18,789

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on North Star 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 886^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 862^nd of 933 Elementary schools	0.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (North Star Elementary School)	18.9	8.2	10.7%
3rd Grade Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	35.3	35.4	0.1%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	39.4	1.6%
4th Grade Math (North Star Elementary School)	11.7	18.2	6.5%
4th Grade Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	32.1	29.1	3%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	30.7	2.9%
5th Grade Science (North Star Elementary School)	10.4	7.3	3.1%
5th Grade Science (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	39.8	32	7.8%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (North Star Elementary School)	28.4	26.8	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	49.2	44.2	5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (North Star Elementary School)	14.9	14.6	0.3%
5th Grade Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	36.8	37.2	0.4%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (North Star Elementary School)	24.1	16.9	7.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	44.7	40.9	3.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (North Star Elementary School)	14.7	8	6.7%
All Grades Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	35	32	3%
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	449	361	19.6%
African American	30	24	20%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	7	10	42.9%
Hispanic	362	285	21.3%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	37	36	2.7%
Two or More Races	8	6	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	82.2%	87%	4.8%

Schools Near North Star 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
North Star Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8740 North Star Drive	Denver	80221	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5560	361	23	16.0	87.0%	36 (10.0%)	24 (6.6%)	285 (78.9%)	10 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)								(n/a)		8.9													9.8		$18,789
Sherrelwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8095 Kalamath Drive	Denver	80221	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-5353	197	15	13.5	77.7%	28 (14.2%)	1 (0.5%)	155 (78.7%)	2 (1.0%)	3 (1.5%)	3 (1.5%)	5 (2.5%)	23.6	691^st of 943 public elementary schools	26.7%		31.2	597^th of 933 public elementary schools	36.0%	94	23.5	11.4	32.4				22.3	29.4	20.0	26.5				25.2	35.3		$20,977
McElwain Elementary School	Public	K-5	1020 Dawson Drive	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5500	369	26	14.1	89.2%	65 (17.6%)	4 (1.1%)	231 (62.6%)	61 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)								(n/a)			11.1				7.9							3.3			$17,836
North Mor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9580 Damon Drive	Northglenn	80221	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5540	367	22	16.4	68.7%	67 (18.3%)	9 (2.5%)	265 (72.2%)	16 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	12.7	837^th of 943 public elementary schools	11.2%		16.9	774^th of 933 public elementary schools	17.0%	63	19.0	20.8	23.7				21.5	18.2	12.8	20.3				17.3	10.2		$17,362
STEM Launch	Public, Magnet	K-8	9450 Pecos Street	Thornton	80206	Denver County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(720) 972-5120	738	50	14.7	75.1%	142 (19.2%)	2 (0.3%)	571 (77.4%)	7 (0.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.6%)	21.3	726^th of 943 public elementary schools	23.0%		27.3	639^th of 933 public elementary schools	31.5%	87	17.1	26.8	17.8	35.9	50.5	28.0	31.2	26.1	32.9	16.9	14.7	17.6	17.1	20.1	13.0	20.4	$15,271
Thornton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Eppinger Boulevard	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5660	391	25	15.6	79.5%	52 (13.3%)	10 (2.6%)	295 (75.4%)	21 (5.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	8.1	912^th of 943 public elementary schools	3.3%		8.7	899^th of 933 public elementary schools	3.6%	13	22.0						10.5		5.2					4.3	7.0		$17,156
Adventure Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	7725 Conifer Rd	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1410	361	21	17.1	68.4%	31 (8.6%)	2 (0.6%)	313 (86.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	10 (2.8%)	21.7	721^st of 943 public elementary schools	23.5%		19.4	747^th of 933 public elementary schools	19.9%	26	27.3	22.9	34.2	22.9			26.9	30.4	13.5	25.6	22.2			23.4	18.4		$14,805
Coronado Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8300 Downing Drive	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5320	443	30	14.7	83.7%	64 (14.4%)	7 (1.6%)	347 (78.3%)	19 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	7.9	914^th of 943 public elementary schools	3.1%		6	926^th of 933 public elementary schools	0.8%	12	12.7	6.8	14.8				11.3	10.2	7.9	14.8				10.9	15.9		$17,898
Metropolitan Arts Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	2341 Sherrelwood Drive	Denver	80221	Adams County	Westminster Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 428-1884	345	24	14.4	77.7%	42 (12.2%)	4 (1.2%)	279 (80.9%)	9 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	9 (2.6%)	13.5	829^th of 943 public elementary schools	12.1%		17.9	766^th of 933 public elementary schools	17.9%	63		21.6	27.9		43.3	47.6	31.7		16.2	14.0		20.0	19.0	15.6	9.3	16.7	$17,896
Global Primary Academy	Public	PK, KG-3	7480 Conifer Road	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 853-1170	285	16	17.9	76.8%	36 (12.6%)	2 (0.7%)	239 (83.9%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)								(n/a)	7.8						7.8	9.6						9.6			$17,503

Frequently Asked Questions about North Star Elementary School

What schools do graduates of North Star Elementary School attend?

Students who attend North Star Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thornton Middle School
High : Northglenn High School

How many students attend North Star Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 361 students attended North Star Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of North Star Elementary School?

Students at North Star Elementary School are 79% Hispanic, 10% White, 7% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What district is North Star Elementary School in?

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

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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.