The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Trailside Academy
Trailside Academy is a regular public school in the Mapleton School District, serving students from preschool through eighth grade. It is not a charter school. The school is located in Denver, within Adams County, and draws from the surrounding neighborhoods in the northern part of the city. Denver itself is a major urban center, the state capital, and a hub for industries including telecommunications, aerospace, health care, and financial services, with a large downtown core and extensive residential areas stretching into the foothills and plains.
The student body at Trailside Academy reflects the diversity of its community. The school’s enrollment is substantial for a PK-8 campus, with grade-level cohorts spread fairly evenly. A significant majority of students are Hispanic, with a much smaller share of white students, and even smaller percentages of Asian, two or more races, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families face economic challenges. Data on the share of students who are English learners or who receive special education services was not available in the school’s reporting.
On state assessments, which measure performance in math, English language arts, and science in the tested grades, Trailside Academy’s results are a central reality for families to consider. In math and English language arts, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above is well below the midpoint when compared to other schools across Colorado. Science results show a similar pattern: in fifth grade, the share of students reaching proficiency is modest, and in eighth grade it is lower still. Participation rates on the tests were generally high, though the eighth-grade science test had a somewhat lower rate, which is something a parent may want to ask the school about. The school’s overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint of districts in Adams County, a metric that aggregates performance across tested subjects and grades.
Because Trailside Academy ends at eighth grade, it does not have a high school graduation rate to report. The school’s structure means that students move on to a different high school after eighth grade, so families should consider the feeder patterns and high school options within the Mapleton School District. The district itself did not have publicly reported recent changes, such as boundary adjustments, new programs, or facility upgrades that could be confirmed from available sources.
The housing context for the area around the school offers a mixed picture. Homes in the immediate zip code are moderately priced relative to the Denver metro area, but values have seen a recent decline. Rents appear to be somewhat more affordable than the cost of buying, given the relationship between estimated monthly mortgage payments and typical rents, though this is a point of general information for families weighing a move to the attendance zone. The broader Denver region has experienced long-term population growth, with suburban development extending north into Adams County, so the area around the school is part of a larger, continuously built-up corridor along the Front Range.
For a family trying to understand what kind of school this is, Trailside Academy offers a full elementary through middle school experience under one roof, which can provide continuity through the early and middle grades. Academic proficiency rates are low relative to state and county peers, and this is the school’s defining academic attribute. The school serves a student population with significant economic diversity and a high proportion of Hispanic students. There are no program offerings reported, such as magnet themes or specialized curricula, and no data on discipline, staffing, or chronic absenteeism was available. A parent evaluating this school would likely want to visit, speak with the principal about academic support strategies, understand how the school works with students who are below grade level, and learn about the pathway to high school within the district.
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