The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in English language arts. The lowest is 65% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Redstone Elementary School
Redstone Elementary School is a regular public school serving students from preschool through sixth grade in Highlands Ranch, part of the Douglas County School District. It sits within a master-planned suburban community that is primarily residential and largely built out, with segmented neighborhoods connected by arterial roads and a greenbelt of trails and parks. The school itself is a neighborhood elementary campus, reflecting the broader community's pattern of dispersed civic and commercial life rather than a single downtown core.
Academically, Redstone posted strong results on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success for the 2024-25 school year. In both math and English language arts, the share of students scoring at the proficient or above level was well above the mark that many families would consider solid. The proficiency rate in mathematics was robust, and the rate in ELA was even higher. Science results, tested in fifth grade, were also comfortably above the midpoint, though less dominant than the literacy and math scores. These results point to a school where a large majority of students are meeting or exceeding state learning expectations, which tends to correlate with the broader socioeconomic context of the neighborhood.
The student body is relatively small for a PK-6 building, with an enrollment that is predominantly white, with meaningful shares of Asian and Hispanic students and a smaller number of students identifying as two or more races. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low, reflecting the affluence of the surrounding community. Data on special education and English learner populations was not reported in the available records, so a parent wanting to understand the full range of instructional supports might wish to ask the school directly. Because Redstone only serves through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate or high school outcome data to report — the school's accountability picture is limited to the state testing results in elementary grades.
Highlands Ranch itself is a car-dependent suburb with no traditional downtown. Daily errands typically require driving, though the community maintains an extensive network of trails and open space, including a large Backcountry Wilderness Area and multiple recreation centers. Housing costs in the zip code are high — well above both state and national benchmarks — and the rental market is similarly expensive. The community has seen explosive growth since its founding decades ago, but development is now nearly complete. That stability means the school serves a well-established residential area where turnover is likely lower than in a fast-growing new suburb.
The Douglas County School District has made notable recent investments that affect Redstone. In 2022, voters approved a mill levy override for teacher and staff compensation as well as mental health and social-emotional learning support — the first such measure to pass in many years. In 2024, voters approved both a large bond for school construction, safety upgrades, and facility renovations, and another mill levy override for teacher recruitment and retention. The district also implemented a new evidence-based literacy curriculum across all elementary schools starting in the 2023-24 school year, a shift in reading instruction that shapes how Redstone teaches its youngest students.
For a family moving into the Highlands Ranch area, Redstone Elementary looks like a school where a high level of academic proficiency is the norm, where the neighborhood is stable and affluent, and where the district has recently made significant financial commitments to staffing and programming. The combination of strong test results, a low-poverty student population, and a community that has largely finished its build-out suggests a predictable, well-supported elementary environment. A parent whose priorities include a school where most students perform well on state assessments and who values the amenities of a planned suburban community with extensive recreational trails would find Redstone a natural fit. Those seeking a more economically diverse student body or a more walkable, urban setting would need to look elsewhere.
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