The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cimarron Middle
Cimarron Middle School serves grades six through eight in Parker, a fast-growing commuter town at the southeastern edge of the Denver metro area. The school is part of the Douglas County School District RE-1, a district that has seen major voter-approved investments in recent years, including a mill levy override for teacher compensation and mental health support in 2022 and a bond and another mill levy override in 2024 that fund new construction, safety upgrades, and staff retention. The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits on a suburban campus in a town that has grown rapidly from a small settlement into a sizable community.
Cimarron Middle is a large school for its grade band, serving a student body that is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population as the next largest group and smaller shares of students who are Asian, Black, or of two or more races. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a lower rate than what is typical nationally. The school does not appear to have a Title I designation, and data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs and supports.
On state assessments, Cimarron Middle shows a clear strength in English language arts, where a majority of students scored at or above the proficient level. Math proficiency was lower, with less than half of students reaching that benchmark. Science results, which are tested only in eighth grade, were lower still, with about a third of students scoring proficient or above. A parent looking at these results may want to discuss with the school how math and science instruction is structured and what supports are available for students who are not yet meeting proficiency in those subjects. Participation rates on the tests were high, which means the results give a reliable picture of overall performance.
The school sits within the Douglas County School District, which has seen significant voter-approved funding in recent years. In 2022, a mill levy override passed to fund teacher compensation, mental health support, and social-emotional learning programs. In 2024, voters approved both a bond for new construction, safety upgrades, and facility renovations, and another mill levy override for teacher and staff recruitment and retention. The district also implemented a new evidence-based literacy curriculum across all elementary schools starting in the 2023-2024 school year, which will affect the preparation of students entering Cimarron Middle in the coming years.
Parker itself is a suburban commuter town that has grown rapidly over the past few decades. The town has a small historic downtown along Mainstreet, with the Parker Arts, Culture, & Events Center as a civic anchor, but the overall development pattern is auto-oriented suburban sprawl. Housing values in the area are well above the national median, and rents are also high, reflecting the desirability of the Douglas County suburbs. The town maintains an extensive network of multi-use trails, including the Cherry Creek Trail, but daily life for most residents requires a car.
For a family considering Cimarron Middle, the picture is of a large suburban middle school in a high-cost, fast-growing area, with solid English language arts results and room for improvement in math and science. The district has made recent investments in teacher pay and literacy instruction that may strengthen the school over time. A parent may want to ask about how the school supports students who are below proficiency in math and science, and about the specific programs available for students with disabilities and English learners, since that data was not available in the source materials.
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