The Colorado Department of Education is a good public resource and Great Schools is a website with information on the school districts in Colorado down to each individual school. US News & World Report has rankings of Denver metro area high schools.
Denver Metro Area School Districts:
- Adams County School District 14:
Adams County School District 14 has 6900 students and includes Commerce City, parts of Thornton and unincorporated Adams County. As a choice school district, the faculty and staff of Adams County School District works hard to improve academic achievement among students with classes in music, arts and offering state-of-the-art technology throughout the district. Adams County School District 14 encompasses many established neighborhoods and even more new neighborhoods. Recognizable communities are Reunion and Turnberry. This Northeastern area is very convenient to Downtown Denver and DIA (Denver International Airport).
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools:
Located on the northern side of the Denver metro area, the Adams 12 Five Star School District has 37,000 students in 49 buildings and serves five cities: Broomfield, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster. Adams Five Star Schools offers students countless opportunities including Internet safety night, Hispanic Awards Programs and Colorado’s First Hybrid Bus. Adams 12 district offers real estate opportunities that are both affordable and available, housing here had the lowest price in the metro district. The district is very convenient to people employed in the Denver-Boulder corridor and Interlocken. Adams 12 Five Star District is very close to the new Conoco Philips Facility where over the next few years 7000 people will be employed.
- Aurora Public Schools:
As the sixth largest school district in Colorado, the Aurora Public Schools serve approximately 32,000 students from over 100 different countries, making it one of the most diverse districts in the state. VISTA 2010 is Aurora School District’s plan to graduate every student with the option to go to college without remediation. Real estate opportunities in the Aurora School District are as diverse as the area. Homes in every price range, size in established or brand new neighborhoods can be found. Aurora is home to the Anschutz Campus and the BioMed Technology Park at Fitzsimons. It also is home to metro Denver’s only military base, Buckley Air Force Base. DIA (although is actually in Denver) is very close to Aurora too.
- Cherry Creek School District:
As a large district, with a total of 58 schools and many varied programs, the Cherry Creek School District provides nearly 49,000 students a quality education dedicated to excellence, greater student achievement and building character. Their mission is to inspire every student to think, to learn, to achieve, to care.” Cherry Creek Schools serves the southeast Denver metro area in Arapahoe County, includes the neighborhoods of Cherry Hills, Greenwood Village, Centennial and SE Aurora. Real estate in these areas is readily available to include both new and resale homes. Prices are on the higher end of the scale as the Cherry Creek District is located in a very influential zip code.
- Denver Public Schools:
Having grown up in Denver and attended Denver Public Schools I would be happy to discuss the schools more. Established in 1902, the Denver Public Schools system serves the city and county of Denver and approximately 73,500 students. With 73 elementary schools, 17 middle schools and 14 high schools, the Denver Public Schools system is widely recognized to be one of the best urban school systems in the country. DPS is a District of Choice and as a trend setter, DPS rewards teacher incentives based on student growth on the CSAP test. Choices in Denver living are deeply diverse, single family homes close to the city, urbanites can live in condos, lofts and high rises. No matter which neighborhood you choose, we can guarantee a park will be within a reasonable walking distance. Denver is known as “the city in a park.”
US News & World Report ranking of DPS schools
- Douglas County School District:
Educating more than 50,000 students, the Douglas County School District is the third largest district in the state with its 41 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and eight high schools. Douglas County Schools have a strong reputation for helping students obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to becoming active and contributing members of society. Over 16,000 parents and community members volunteer their time to help Douglas County School District continue to provide the highest and best education possible. Homes in Douglas County are located either in rural areas or larger communities, Highlands Ranch, Parker and Castle Rock. Douglas County is known for it’s dedication to open space.
- Elizabeth School District:
Serving nearly 2,900 students, the Elizabeth School District provides a safe and secure learning environment at all of its six campuses including a preschool, two elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools.Elizabeth School District offers hot lunch in it’s rural schools. The district is proud of the fact it’s students perform higher than state and national averages on ACTs. Real estate choices in the district can be either in the small town of Elizabeth or the rural reaches of small acreages/ranches.
- Englewood Schools:
Educating students in 9 schools, Englewood Schools Strategic Plan: the mission of the Englewood Schools, dedicated to caring, progressive, community-centered schools is to develop the full potential of all students as contributing members of a rapidly changing world through academically excellent educational programs. Englewood is located just south of Downtown Denver, housing options are city-close communities of resale homes. Englewood has a town-center located by the RTD Light Rail Station. It is very well situated for employment centers of Downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center.
- Jefferson County Public Schools:
Jefferson County Public School is the largest school district in Colorado, serving more than 84,000 students with 148 schools. The faculty and staff of the school district are highly qualified over 58% have Masters Degrees. The district is segmented into 17 articulation areas (feeder schools) each comprising one to two high schools and their feeder elementary/middle schools. Jefferson County is often referred to as “Jeffco”, it is a huge county encompassing neighborhoods in west metro Denver, up the foothills of Morrison, Golden and Genesee and into the mountain communities of Evergreen and Conifer. As one would imagine living choices are equally diverse in both style and price.
- Littleton Public Schools:
My wife and I moved to Centennial is large part for the Littleton schools, and I would be happy to discuss. Located south of Denver, Littleton Public Schools serves the majority of the City of Littleton, Town of Columbine Valley, and portions of the municipalities of Bow Mar, Centennial, Greenwood Village, and Englewood. Littleton Public School District (also known as Littleton 6) educates approximately 16,000 students in 15 elementary schools (K-5), four middle schools (6-8), and three high schools (9-12). LPS also offers three alternative education schools and two charter schools (K-8). In addition to preschool and half- or full-day kindergarten, the Village 2 & Under Program serves children ages six weeks to three years and is the first of its kind in Colorado to be affiliated with a public school district. LPS is continually ranking at the top of the Colorado School Accountability Charts. Housing choices in Littleton are generally limited to resale homes, but newer homes to the southern border are available. Littleton is very convenient to employment centers in downtown Denver, Englewood, Denver Tech Center and Lockheed Martin.
- Mapleton Public Schools:
Serving nearly 6,000 children, Mapleton District has been educating children for over 50 years! The District engages not just the children but the parents in order to create the best learning environment for life success. The District covers 18 square miles serving suburban, rural and light industrial communities. Sixteen schools located in the Thornton area work together to provide an outstanding education experience for their students. Opportunities for housing cover both new and resale homes in mostly a suburban setting.
