Original Research by School Decision on Cherry Valley Elementary School
Cherry Valley Elementary School sits in Franktown, an unincorporated rural community in Douglas County that has deliberately held onto its quiet, large-acreage character even as the surrounding region has grown rapidly. The school itself is a small public elementary serving kindergarten through sixth grade, and its size shapes much of what a parent would want to know.
The student body is very small and predominantly white, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and a very small share of students identifying as two or more races. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that points to economic diversity within a community where housing values are high. That combination suggests that some families live on substantial ranches while others work in nearby Castle Rock or Parker and send children here.
State testing results for the most recent year are suppressed for all subjects, meaning the state has not released proficiency rates because of the small number of students tested. Participation in the math and English language arts assessments was in line with typical rates given the school's size. A parent who wants a clear picture of academic performance against state standards will want to ask the principal directly how the school tracks student progress and what assessment data is available at the classroom level. The school serves grades that are tested, so the absence of reported results is a function of its small enrollment, not an alternative or untested grade range.
Franktown itself shapes the experience. It is a low-density, car-dependent crossroads community with little commercial core. Cherry Valley Elementary is located on State Highway 83, set apart from the historic intersection. There is no public transit. For families who value a small, rural school environment with a tight-knit feel, this fits. For those who want broad program offerings or a large peer group, it does not. Because the school stops at sixth grade, students will move on to a middle school elsewhere in the Douglas County School District, and the feeder pattern is worth investigating.
The district behind the school has been through notable change recently. Voters approved a mill levy override in 2022, the first in many years, to fund teacher and staff compensation along with mental health and social-emotional learning supports. In 2024, voters passed both a large bond for new school construction, safety upgrades, and facility renovations, and another mill levy override for teacher recruitment and retention. These measures together signal that the district is investing in keeping staff and modernizing buildings, and the bond is structured so the tax rate does not rise because older bonds are retiring. The district also implemented a new evidence-based literacy curriculum across all elementary schools beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, a district-wide shift in how reading is taught.
Given the school's very small size, a parent will want to understand what specialist teachers are available, how the school handles art, music, physical education, and enrichment, and what kind of support is in place for students who need extra help or who are ready for acceleration. The absence of reported data on special education and English learner populations is another gap to ask about directly. Compared to other districts in Douglas County, no academic comparison is possible because the school's testing data is suppressed.
This is a school for a family that wants a truly small rural elementary, who is comfortable with a car-dependent community, and who is ready to engage directly with the school to fill in the information that the state testing system does not provide at this scale.
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