The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Science. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Arkansas Elementary School
Arkansas Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in Aurora, Colorado, within the Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and Arapahoe. The school sits in a largely suburban city that is the third-largest in the state, a place of hundreds of subdivisions and master-planned communities rather than a single traditional downtown. The built environment is car-dependent, though light rail and buses serve parts of the city. Major employers include Buckley Space Force Base, the Anschutz Medical Campus, and the school district itself. Growth continues, particularly along the corridor south of Denver International Airport where an aerotropolis is planned, and on the Anschutz Medical Campus, which is a significant economic engine.
The school’s enrollment is mid-sized for an elementary school. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is diverse: the largest group identifies as Hispanic, followed by White students, Black students, students of two or more races, Asian students, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Data were not reported on the share of students with disabilities or those who are English learners; a parent may want to ask the school directly about the support structures available for these populations.
On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, the school’s overall proficiency rate across tested subjects and grades placed it above the midpoint among districts in Arapahoe County. For math, about a quarter of students scored at proficient or advanced levels. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of students reached that benchmark. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade, just under a third met the state’s proficiency standard. These results indicate that while the school is performing better than many in the county, the majority of students are not yet meeting grade-level expectations in core subjects. A parent looking at these numbers would want to understand the school’s approach to academic intervention and enrichment.
The school has no data reported for chronic absenteeism or discipline. An absence of school environment metrics like these can sometimes reflect reporting gaps rather than an absence of issues; a family considering the school may wish to inquire about attendance patterns and school climate during a visit.
For the district as a whole, voters approved a bond measure in 2022 that funds facility improvements, safety upgrades, and school modernization across Aurora Public Schools. This represents a long-term investment in buildings and learning environments. At the same time, the district has undertaken a school consolidation and repurposing process, closing or repurposing underutilized buildings. These changes affect school assignments and feeder patterns, so families should be aware that the district’s physical landscape is shifting.
Housing in the area carries a value that is below the state benchmark but above the national one, and both home values and rents have seen a modest decline. For context, the national 30-year mortgage rate was just over six and a half percent at the time of this data, with median household income nationally at roughly $84,000.
Arkansas Elementary School is a diverse, mid-sized neighborhood school with a student body where many families face economic challenges. Its academic results are in the middle of the pack for Arapahoe County, with room for growth. A family considering this school would want to look into how the school supports students who are working toward grade-level proficiency and what programs it offers, especially given the district’s ongoing facility investments and school reorganizations.
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