The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Irving Elementary School
Irving Elementary School serves students from preschool through fifth grade as a regular public school in Pueblo School District 60. It sits in the heart of Pueblo, a mid-sized city with a strong industrial past as the “Steel City” and a present-day economy anchored by healthcare, education, government, and manufacturing. The school’s enrollment is small enough that families will find a familiar, neighborhood-scale setting.
On state assessments, about three in ten students scored proficient or above in math and in English language arts. In science, fewer than two in ten reached that bar. Those figures are modest on their own, but compared with other schools in Pueblo County, Irving Elementary’s overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among the county’s districts. A parent looking at the raw numbers will see room for progress, but the school is performing at the stronger end of the local pack. State testing data was available for all core subjects and grades tested; as an elementary school, there are no high school graduation or college-readiness metrics to consider.
The student body is heavily Hispanic, with about three-quarters of students identifying as Hispanic and most of the remainder identifying as white. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which tells you this is a community with significant economic need. The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and operates within the district’s standard elementary program. Information on special education and English learner populations was not reported in the available data, so a parent with specific questions in those areas may want to follow up directly with the school.
Pueblo’s housing market reflects the city’s broad affordability. Home values in the area are well below the state median, and rents are moderate relative to incomes. The city has a walkable core around the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk and Union Avenue, but most of Pueblo is auto-oriented and low-density. Major employers include a large medical center, the state mental health hospital, the school districts, Colorado State University Pueblo, and manufacturing firms such as Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel. The city is also positioning itself as a hub for solar energy development, adding a newer economic thread to its industrial legacy.
Pueblo School District 60 voters approved a bond measure in 2022 that funds school facility improvements and safety upgrades across the district, the largest bond in its history, and the district has reverted to its original name after years as Pueblo City Schools. Both changes reflect ongoing investment in the school system.
Irving Elementary is a small, high-needs school in a district that has taken steps to modernize its buildings. The academic outcomes are below statewide averages but competitive within Pueblo County. For a family seeking a neighborhood elementary school in a city with a strong sense of place, an affordable housing market, and a diversifying economy, Irving fits that profile. A parent concerned about the relatively low proficiency rates should ask what academic supports the school offers and how the district’s bond money is being deployed at this campus. The school’s size and demographic concentration mean that the peer environment is predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged, which some families will find familiar and others may wish to explore further.
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