The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Science. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ponderosa Elementary School
Ponderosa Elementary School serves students in preschool through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Cherry Creek School District in Aurora. The school is located in a sprawling, largely car-dependent suburban city that is Colorado’s third largest, with a population scattered across hundreds of subdivisions and commercial corridors. Major employers include Buckley Space Force Base and the Anschutz Medical Campus, and the city continues to grow, particularly along the E-470 corridor near Denver International Airport. Housing values in the school’s zip code sit below the state benchmark, and the area has seen a modest recent decline in home prices and rents. The typical mortgage payment here runs well above the typical rent, giving a clear cost-of-ownership gap for families weighing that move.
The student body is large for an elementary school, with an enrollment that reflects wide diversity. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by Black students, White students, students who identify as two or more races, and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs and English learner status were not available in the reporting. State testing results from the Colorado Measures of Academic Success for the 2024-25 school year show that Ponderosa’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades fell below the midpoint when compared with other schools in Arapahoe County. In math, just under a fifth of students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, the figure was similar, just under a fifth. In science, which is tested in fifth grade, just over a fifth of students scored at the proficient level. These are soft spots, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place for students who are not yet at grade level. Participation rates on the assessments were solid, above ninety-four percent in each subject.
Because Ponderosa is a regular elementary school serving only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate, and a four-year graduation rate is not applicable to this entity. The school is not a charter or a magnet, and its Title I status was not reported in the available data. No information was provided on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access. A parent should ask the school or the district for context on class sizes, teacher experience, and what counseling or enrichment programs are available, particularly given the school’s size and the varied needs of its student population.
The overall picture is of a large, diverse elementary school in a growing suburban city within a well-known Colorado district, where state assessment results show that the majority of students are currently scoring below the proficient mark. The school’s strengths in program offerings or specific academic pathways were not detailed in the available data. For a family weighing this school, the next step would be reaching out to Ponderosa directly to learn about its curriculum, reading and math intervention models, after-school offerings, and how the school engages families around academic progress. The Cherry Creek district has a reputation for investing in its schools, but a parent should confirm what resources are directed to this particular building.
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