The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Emerald Elementary School
Emerald Elementary School is a regular public school in Broomfield, Colorado, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Boulder Valley School District, a large regional district that spans multiple communities from the urban edge of Denver west into the foothills. Because Emerald is an elementary school, families should note that there is no graduation rate or high-school-level program data, as those measures do not apply to this grade band.
The school’s enrollment is moderately sized for an elementary building. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse. Just under half of the students are white, while about a third are Hispanic, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, multiracial, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Just over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of household economic need that places the school at a level where a substantial share of families may rely on this support.
On the most recent state assessments in math and English language arts, given to students in grades three through five, a bit more than a third of students scored proficient or above in mathematics, while just over half reached that bar in English language arts. In science, tested only in fifth grade, about a third of students were proficient or above. These results represent one year’s snapshot. Participation rates were high, above the threshold most states require for reporting. A parent considering the school will want to look into what academic supports or interventions are available for students who are not yet meeting proficiency, particularly in math, where the share of students at the proficient level is lower than in reading.
Emerald is located in Broomfield, a city that sits at the intersection of Boulder, Adams, and Jefferson counties. The housing market in the surrounding zip code reflects a metro-area that is expensive by national standards. Home values are well above the national median, though they have softened slightly in the most recent year, and rental costs follow a similar pattern. For a typical household, the estimated cost of buying a home here would absorb a much larger share of income than renting, though both are significant. The broader national context of elevated mortgage rates and persistent rent costs means that housing affordability is a live concern for many families in the area.
The Boulder Valley School District has been in a period of notable change. Voters approved a large bond issue in 2022, funding safety upgrades, mental health spaces, classroom additions, and improvements to mechanical and technology systems across its fifty-six schools, with construction phased through 2026. That bond also financed a new elementary school in Erie that opened in fall 2024, responding to enrollment growth in that part of the district. At the same time, voters approved a mill levy override to increase teacher and support staff compensation, a property-tax-backed investment intended to help the district attract and retain staff. However, the district has also faced enrollment declines of roughly a thousand students over the past decade, leading the school board to vote to close two small elementary schools in the foothills at the end of the 2024-25 school year, with the possibility of additional closures or boundary changes under discussion. Families within the district should be aware that conversations about consolidation and attendance zones are ongoing, though Emerald’s location in the more populated Broomfield area may buffer it from the most acute effects of declining enrollment seen in some of the district’s smaller mountain communities.
For a parent or resident, Emerald Elementary offers a regularly-sized elementary program within a large district that is simultaneously investing in facility upgrades and staff compensation while managing enrollment shifts. The student body reflects economic and racial diversity. The academic results are mixed, with reading scores stronger than math and science, and the school’s performance on state tests is a reasonable starting point for a conversation with the school about how it addresses students who need additional support. The surrounding housing market is expensive, consistent with the broader Boulder Valley region, and the district’s financial picture includes both new investments in infrastructure and staffing alongside the pressure of declining enrollment in parts of its service area.
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