The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Edgewater Elementary School
Edgewater Elementary School serves students from preschool through sixth grade in the city of Edgewater, part of Jefferson County School District No. R-1. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a much smaller share of white students and very small numbers of Black, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need in the school community.
On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, the school’s proficiency rates are below the state average. In math, about a fifth of students scored at the proficient or advanced level. In English language arts, about a third of students reached that bar. In science, tested at fifth grade, roughly a fifth of students met the proficiency standard. Participation rates on the assessments were very high, so the results reflect nearly the entire tested population. A parent considering this school should be aware that academic performance, as measured by these state tests, is an area where the school is working to improve.
Edgewater Elementary serves a student population that is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a much smaller white enrollment and very small numbers of Black, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the community’s economic circumstances. The school runs from preschool through sixth grade, so it does not have a graduation rate to report. Data on the share of students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.
The school is part of Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which has seen significant recent changes. In November 2024, voters approved a bond measure for capital improvements, safety upgrades, and technology enhancements across the district, the first such bond passed since a prior bond measure years earlier. That same election saw three school board members recalled and replaced, a shift driven by community concerns about transparency and the handling of school consolidation plans. The district had previously announced a plan to close a number of schools in 2023 due to declining enrollment and budget deficits, but reversed that decision after community pushback. A Regional Opportunities and Consolidation Committee was formed in 2024 to study enrollment and capacity, meaning the possibility of future school closures or boundary changes remains an open question for families. In 2023, the district also adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with Colorado’s READ Act and the science of reading framework, a change that affects how reading is taught across all elementary schools.
Housing in the Edgewater area carries a price tag roughly in line with the state median, and rents are also near that benchmark. The local housing market has seen a modest decline in values over the past year, and rents have dipped slightly as well. The typical home price in the area is high relative to national median household income, making homeownership a stretch for many families. Rents are also a significant share of income. These conditions are consistent with a metro-area community where affordability is a real consideration.
Because the comparison set for this school within Jefferson County districts was too small to produce a meaningful proficiency index or other comparative metrics, the data does not allow a direct ranking against neighboring districts. The school’s performance is best understood on its own terms and in the context of the district’s broader changes. A parent looking at Edgewater Elementary will want to consider the school’s academic results alongside the district’s ongoing consolidation discussions, the new literacy curriculum, and the recent bond-funded investments that may affect facilities and technology in the coming years.
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