The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson County Open Elementary School
Jefferson County Open Elementary School is a regular public school in Lakewood, Colorado, serving students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. It is part of Jefferson County School District R-1, the large suburban district west of Denver. Lakewood itself is a sizeable city that combines established residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors along major highways, and large institutional campuses such as the Denver Federal Center and several higher education institutions. The city’s most walkable node is the Belmar district, a mixed-use redevelopment on the site of a former mall, but overall the built environment is autocentric and suburban. Housing values in the area sit above the state average, though they have edged down slightly in the most recent year. Rents are substantial, and buying a home here carries a price-to-income ratio well above the national norm, meaning the market is tight for many households.
The school enrolls a mid-sized elementary population distributed fairly evenly across grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic representation and a smaller share of multiracial students. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic diversity that falls near the middle for a suburban Colorado school. Data on special education and English learner identification were not available in the records we reviewed, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about those services.
On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success assessments, proficiency rates sit below where many families might hope. In English language arts, roughly two out of five students met or exceeded expectations. In mathematics and science, roughly one out of three students reached that bar. Participation rates were very high, so these results reflect nearly the entire tested student population. Multi-year trend data was not available, and the cohort of comparable schools within Jefferson County was too small to support a broader comparison. A parent considering this school should discuss academic support and intervention strategies with the school administration.
The broader district context matters here. In recent years, Jefferson County has seen significant governance and operational change. Voters approved a substantial bond measure in 2024 for capital improvements, safety upgrades, and technology, the first such bond in many years. The district also adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with Colorado’s READ Act, a lasting shift in how early reading is taught. At the same time, an announced plan to close sixteen schools was reversed after community backlash, and a committee continues to study enrollment and consolidation options. In the same election cycle, three school board members were recalled and replaced, a reflection of tensions around transparency and school closures. For families weighing a long-term commitment to this school, the district’s ongoing deliberation about which schools remain open and where boundaries lie creates an element of uncertainty.
Jefferson County Open Elementary operates as neither a charter nor a magnet school. It serves early and middle grades in an established Lakewood neighborhood within a district that is large and resource-rich by Colorado standards. For a family looking for a neighborhood elementary in a suburban setting with a socioeconomically mixed student body, it is a plausible option. The academic results are modest, and the district’s volatility around consolidation and governance is something to track. The school itself is not among the highest-performing in the region on state tests, but it serves a practical role in a community where housing costs are high and school choice decisions carry weight.
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