Cherry Creek School District Boasts the Most “Top” High Schools

Since TeamCox understands the high importance of a child’s education, we constantly monitor reports that indicate which Denver metro area schools are the best. The recent release of Newsweek’s “Top High Schools,” includes several Denver metro area high schools that were recognized for their superior performance, including a high number of advanced programs and strong graduation rates. Not surprisingly, the Cherry Creek School District did particularly well with a whopping five high schools included in the list.

The schools were given a score that was calculated by dividing the number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or Cambridge tests, by the number of graduating seniors. The top 1,391 schools were included on the list, indicating that they scored in the top five percent. The top-ranked Denver area high schools were as follows: Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette (40), Lakewood High School (108), Fairview High School in Boulder (235), Boulder High School (237) and Denver’s East High School (241).

The following Denver area high schools made Newsweek’s list of the “top” high schools:

Cherry Creek School District:
Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village)
Eaglecrest High School (Aurora)
Grandview High School (Aurora)
Overland High School (Aurora)
Smoky Hill High School (Aurora)

Douglas County School District:
Chaparral High School (Parker)
ThunderRidge High School (Highlands Ranch)

Denver Public Schools:
East High School (Denver)
George Washington High School (Denver)

Jefferson County School District:
D’Evelyn High School (Lakewood)
Lakewood High School (Lakewood)

Littleton Public Schools:
Littleton High School (Littleton)
Heritage High School (Littleton)

Boulder Valley School District:
Boulder High School (Boulder)
Farirview High School (Boulder)
Monarch High School (Louisville)
Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette)

Adams 12 Five Star Schools:
Legacy High School (Broomfield)

Are you looking for a home in a specific school district? TeamCox’s cutting-edge Denver MLS search system allows you to search by school district, which is extremely helpful to many prospective homebuyers. For more information on Denver area schools, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060 – We are your Denver real estate specialists.

Douglas County School District Reveals Names for Newest Schools in Parker and Castle Rock

Two new Douglas County School District elementary schools have remained nameless – until this week!

According to The Douglas County School District, its Board of Education formally approved, “Gold Rush Elementary,” as the name for Elementary School #44. Gold Rush Elementary, Parker’s newest elementary school, will be open for the 2008-2009 school year. Parker subdivisions feeding in the new school include Antelope Heights, Bradbury Hills, Horse Creek, Newlin Meadows and Jordan Crossing. The name has historical meaning as gold was found in Newlin Gulch during the gold rush.

The Castle Rock area’s newest elementary school (formerly Elementary School #45) will now be known as “Clear Sky Elementary School.” The brand new school, located in The Meadows subdivision, will also be open for the 2008-2009 school year.

For more information on schools throughout Douglas County or in the Denver metropolitan area, please contact TeamCox Realtors.

Brand New Schools are in the Pipeline for Parker, Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch!

The well-regarded Douglas County School District, which serves more than 50,000 students, is the third largest school district in the state. Despite the recent slowdown in the general Denver real estate market, the district is still growing in response to Douglas County’s popularity among Denver area homebuyers.

Since the Douglas County School District has added approximately 2,500 students per year over the past five years, there are many new schools in the works for communities in Parker, Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch:

PARKER

High School #9 (Idyllwilde/Canterberry Crossing)

While it is waiting for its official name, “High School #9,” is under construction in the heart of Parker’s beautiful Idyllwilde community right off Hilltop Road. Tentatively scheduled to open during the fall of 2008, it will be the Parker area’s third high school. Please click here for more information on the new high school.

Middle School #9 (Idyllwilde/Canterberry Crossing)

Middle School #9 is under construction at the same location as the new Parker High School. It is also scheduled to open during the fall of 2008. Please click here for more information on the new middle school.

Mammoth Heights Elementary (Stonegate)

While Mammoth Heights’ classes are already in session at neighboring elementary schools, its new facility will open in January. The brand new elementary school is located on the north side of the popular Stonegate Subdivision on Stonegate Parkway. Please click here for to view the boundaries for Mammoth Heights Elementary.

Elementary School # 44 (Bradbury Hills/Antelope Heights/Horse Creek/Newlin Meadows)

Also nameless, another new Parker elementary school is under construction and scheduled to open in 2008. This new elementary school will affect the current attendance boundaries for Prairie Crossing Elementary. Please click here for to see view the boundaries for Elementary School #44.

CASTLE ROCK

Middle School #8

Castle Rock’s newest middle school is slated to open in August of 2008. Elementary Schools feeding into the new school include Castle Rock, Cherry Valley, Flagstone, Rock Ridge and South. Please click here for more information on the new middle school.

Elementary School #45 (Boundaries TBD)

There is a meeting scheduled on November 20th to determine the boundaries for the Castle Rock area’s newest elementary school to be located in the Castle View High School feeder area. It is scheduled to open in 2008.

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Stone Mountain Elementary (Weatherstone)

Stone Mountain Elementary, to be located in the Highlands Ranch subdivision of Weatherstone, is scheduled to open in 2008. Please click here for to see view the boundaries for Stone Mountain Elementary.

For more information on Denver area schools, please contact TeamCox Realtors. We realize how important education is to you and your family so we make a point of keeping updated on all new developments.

A Rundown of Denver High Schools' 2007 Average ACT Composite Scores

The Colorado Department of Education released a report today of the 2007 Colorado High Schools’ average ACT composite scores. Since this is a very important indicator of educational quality, TeamCox Realtors combed through the data to determine the top ten highest scoring high schools in addition to the top scoring school distircts in the Denver metro area. The Boulder Valley School District fared very well with the 2007 ACT test.

Top Ten Denver Area High School Average ACT Composite Scores*

1. ‘D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School (Jefferson County) - 26.2

2. Peak to Peak Charter School (Boulder Valley) - 23.2

3. Fariview High School (Boulder Valley) - 23.3

4. Cherry Creek High School (Cherry Creek) - 23.2

5. Denver School of Science and Technology - 23.6

6. Boulder High School (Boulder Valley) - 23.2

7. Mountain Vista High School (Douglas County)- 22.5

8. Monarch High School (Boulder Valley) - 22.4

9. Arapahoe High School (Littleton) - 22.2

10. Denver School of the Arts - 22.0

Which Denver area school districts fared the best? Here is the rundown:

1. Boulder Valley School District - 21.9

2. Littleton Public Schools - 21.7

3. Douglas County School District 20.9

4. Cherry Creek Schools - 20.5

5. Jefferson County Public Schools - 20.0

6. Adams 12 Five Star Schools - 18.3

7. Aurora Public Schools - 16.0 (tied with DPS)

7. Denver Public Schools - 16.0 (tied with Aurora)

For more information on this report or to see how your favorite high school fared, please visit the Colorado Department of Education’s website. If you have questions about Denver area schools or regarding Denver real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.

* Please note that this list includes only high schools in the Denver metro area. There were higher scoring high schools in other parts of Colorado.

A Run-Down of Denver Schools by TeamCox Realtors

Believe it or not, even though it is only mid-July, many Denver area elementary schools are already in session. The start of a new school year always sparks the debate of which Denver area school districts are truly the best. Here is a run-down based on TeamCox’s extensive experience with both relocating buyers and local buyers with children:

In the Denver suburbs, Cherry Creek Schools and the Douglas County School District are generally considered to be the best in the area. Cherry Creek Schools, which encompasses Centennial, Cherry Hills, Greenwood Village, south Aurora, etc., is more requested than the Douglas County school district, which inclues Castle Rock, Parker, Highlands Ranch, etc. This is simply because when you want a tissue, you ask for a Kleenex. Although Cherry Creek Schools has been well regarded for a longer period, Cherry Creek and Douglas County are fairly equal since one district always has a particular program that is better developed than the other. Jefferson County Public Schools lags behind the other two southern suburban districts but has some bright spots. The Boulder Valley School District takes the prize in the northern suburbs followed by the St. Vrain District.

What should you do if your dream home isn’t in your desired school district? Colorado follows an open enrollment policy where under state law, students may attend any public school at no cost, whether it is in a different neighborhood or even a different school district. However, there are limitations based on space availability and each school district has different rules regarding how students can enroll in a school that isn’t in their neighborhood.

For more information on Denver area schools or regarding Denver real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.