The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Akron Elementary School
Akron Elementary School serves students from preschool through eighth grade in the town of Akron, the seat of Washington County on Colorado’s eastern high plains. This is a rural, compact community where the school district houses all grades under one roof, and the school itself is the only elementary and middle-grade option in the Akron School District R-1. For a family considering this school, the central question is how its academic profile compares to other rural options in the county, and what kind of community and housing context surrounds it.
On state testing, Akron Elementary’s results sit in a specific position relative to other schools in Washington County. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among the county’s districts. That is a meaningful distinction, though the absolute proficiency rates themselves are modest. In math, roughly a quarter of students in tested grades scored at a proficient or advanced level on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success. In English language arts, the share was closer to a third. These figures mean that while Akron Elementary performs relatively well for its county, a majority of its students are not yet reaching the state’s proficiency benchmarks in either subject. Science results for fifth and eighth grades were suppressed by the state, likely due to small testing populations, so no picture of science performance is available.
The school serves about three hundred students across all grades from pre-kindergarten through eighth. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable share identifying as Hispanic. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a substantial portion of families face economic challenges. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports those populations.
Akron Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The district operates a single K-12 building, which means that elementary and middle school students share a campus with high schoolers, a setup that can create continuity for families but also means younger children are in a building with older teens. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The town of Akron began as a railroad camp and remains a small agricultural-service center. It sits at the intersection of two highways, and most daily trips are by car. The housing market reflects the rural context: home values are well below the state median, and the market has been stable, with a slight dip in the most recent data. For a family moving in, homes are substantially more affordable than in Colorado’s urban corridors. The town has modest civic amenities—three parks, a summer swimming pool, a golf club, and a small museum open in summer. There are a few local food options and gas stations, but no major retail or cultural destinations beyond what a small county seat provides. Population growth has been incremental, and no large-scale development projects are reported.
No recent district-level changes with a lasting impact were found in publicly available sources. The district brief turned up only basic directory information, so there is no record of recent program overhauls, facility investments, or leadership transitions to report.
This is a school that fits a family looking for a rural, consolidated K-8 experience in a small, affordable community. Academic performance is above the county average, but the absolute proficiency levels are low enough that a parent should investigate how the school addresses students who are not yet meeting benchmarks, especially in math. The school’s size and single-building district mean a close-knit environment where staff likely know most students by name. For a family comfortable with a car-dependent rural setting and modest test scores relative to state averages, Akron Elementary offers a straightforward, locally anchored option.
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