The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Science. The lowest is 50% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cotton Creek Elementary School
Cotton Creek Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in Westminster, Colorado, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district. The school sits in a large suburban city north of Denver that spans both Adams and Jefferson counties. Westminster has historically been an auto-oriented community, but a major new mixed-use development called Downtown Westminster is introducing a more walkable core with housing, retail, and office space, plus a commuter rail station connecting to Denver. The area also has an extensive trail network, including the Big Dry Creek Trail, and several parks and golf courses. The school itself is on a separate campus, consistent with the city’s dispersed suburban layout.
The student body is diverse in background. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The largest group of students are white, followed by a large Hispanic population, with smaller representations of students who are Asian, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and of two or more races. Data on students receiving special education services or English learner support was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs.
On state assessments, Cotton Creek Elementary’s performance sits notably above the average among districts in Adams County. On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, about half of students scored proficient or above in math, just over half did so in English language arts, and a similar share met the science standard in fifth grade. Participation rates in testing were high, meaning the results reflect nearly the full tested population. The school’s overall proficiency across these subjects places it in the top quartile when compared with districts across the county. This is a clear academic strength.
As an elementary school, Cotton Creek does not have a graduation rate, nor are attendance measures such as chronic absenteeism part of the available data. Those metrics apply to secondary grades. The school’s academic focus is on the foundational years, and the proficiency results offer a solid picture of student achievement at that level.
The housing market around Cotton Creek Elementary reflects typical suburban patterns in the Denver metro area. Home values have seen a modest decline recently, while rents have ticked up slightly. For a family considering a move, the cost of owning a home relative to renting is high, and the typical mortgage payment is well above the typical rent in the area. The national median household income, used here as a reference point, has been rising slowly. These conditions matter for families weighing affordability.
Westminster’s economy is anchored by major employers in high-tech, medical, and energy sectors. Companies such as Ball Corporation, Maxar, and St. Anthony’s North Hospital are based here. The city has experienced rapid growth in past decades, and the Downtown Westminster project is a major current driver of new housing and commercial space. The school district, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, did not have any recent notable changes publicly reported, so families can expect the district’s structure and programming to be stable.
For a parent or resident, Cotton Creek Elementary offers a regular public school with above-average academic results for its county context, a diverse student body, and a suburban setting with improving walkability at the city level. The school’s relatively high proficiency rates are the standout feature. Families moving into the area should weigh the housing costs and the largely car-dependent neighborhood fabric, while recognizing that a new downtown core is gradually adding more urban amenities. A parent interested in special education or English learner supports would need to follow up with the school for specifics, as those figures were not available in the data used here.
See more original research from School Decision →