The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Silverthorne Elementary School
Silverthorne Elementary School serves students from preschool through fifth grade and sits within the Summit School District, a district that spans the mountain communities of Summit County. The school itself is located in the town of Silverthorne, a place that functions as the primary retail and service hub for the county, with national retailers, outlet shopping, and dozens of restaurants. The town has grown steadily in recent years, and the school is part of a district that recently approved a major bond measure for facility upgrades across all its schools, including a rebuild of Summit Middle School and safety improvements.
The student body at Silverthorne Elementary is diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share of enrollment, followed by white students, with small numbers of students who are Asian, Black, or of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with a broad range of household incomes. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, with no special designation that would signal a distinct academic focus.
On state assessments, Silverthorne Elementary’s results present a clear picture. In math, less than one in five students scored at the proficient or above level. In English language arts, roughly one in four students met that bar. For science, which is tested only at fifth grade, the share of students reaching proficiency was similar to the ELA result. These proficiency rates represent a notable portion of students who are not yet meeting grade-level expectations in the core subjects. A parent exploring this school will want to understand what academic support and intervention programs are in place for students who are below benchmark, as this is an area where the school’s own data suggests there is room for growth. Participation rates on the tests were high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students.
The school serves only elementary grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on special education identification and English learner status was not available in the records reviewed, which is a gap a parent may want to follow up on directly with the school to understand the full portrait of student needs and supports. Information on discipline, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism was also absent from the available data.
The community context around the school is a key part of any family’s decision. Silverthorne is a high-cost mountain town, with home prices well above state and national averages and rents that are steep. This is not a place where housing is affordable on a typical income; the ratio of home prices to income is high, and rent consumes a very large share of a typical household’s earnings. The town’s economy is driven by retail, hospitality, construction, and proximity to world-class ski resorts, and it has a walkable Town Core district with a food hall, brewery, performing arts center, and free public transit via the Summit Stage bus system. The Blue River Trail connects the town to a larger county-wide bike path system, and the Recreation Center is undergoing a major expansion. For families who live here, the outdoor recreation and civic amenities are strong, but the cost of living is a significant factor.
Silverthorne Elementary is one of only two districts in Summit County, so comparisons to neighbors are limited by the small size of the county itself. The school’s profile is that of an elementary school in a growing mountain town, serving a diverse student body where a majority of children are Hispanic and a majority qualify for income-based meal assistance. The academic results show a school where most students are not yet at grade-level proficiency, and the surrounding community is expensive and built around tourism and retail. A family considering this school should prioritize a conversation with the school about how it supports students who are below benchmark, and should also consider the broader financial realities of living in Silverthorne. The school itself is a regular neighborhood elementary school with no special admissions or thematic focus, and it sits within a district that is actively investing in its facilities.
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