Palmer Elementary School in Denver | Military Town Advisor

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	8/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) data from Colorado Department of Education.
Student Growth	10/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student Growth - CO CMAS - Cohort-referenced data from Colorado Department of Education, and using 2025 Student Growth - CO PSAT/SAT - Cohort-referenced data from Colorado Department of Education.

Posted: October 24, 2025

This school is terrible every since it became a full day early learning for 3 to 4 year olds

The principle never engages with the parents or communicate about activities their website is never current does not update with the activities at the school..most of the teachers are not the cuddling type that 3 and 4 year olds need

Also this school is lazy with teachers being by the doors to open for parents don't be 2 minunites late you will never get in

Posted: October 24, 2025

Posted: August 29, 2025

Tomar un vuelo tener una visa especial de estudiante y dejarlo todo atrás para llevar a un niño a estudiar a EEUU y que llegues a una escuela y que está escuela, está escuela te refiera a otra donde solo venían llegando latinos que solo hablaban español y español mal hablado que huían de sus países con conflictos. Que solo hablaban español )y que no recibieran a tu niño porque no tenía un buen ingles. Eso sí es perder tiempo. La directora nunca se acercó a hablarme si quiera. Ella era muy importante. Supongo pensó yo era una simple indocumentada más.. mi hijo perdio 1 año de oportunidad de aprender ingles. Porque debería yo recomendarla. Solo una persona ahí se portó muy amable.

Posted: August 29, 2025

Posted: November 29, 2024

My son entered second grade in this school, we still can not believe or understand the decision to close it, it is by far the best school in denver, a warmth of both teachers and students, we came from a school in which my son suffered from bullying instead in this place he feels absolutely at home. In addition, academically it is far superior to many of the schools in Denver.

In some way, I feel the need to express the frustration that such an unfair decision gives us with a largely brilliant work.

Posted: November 29, 2024

Posted: November 7, 2024

This is by far the best elementary school in Colorado. I choice into this school and make the drive because it has been nothing short of amazing for my kids. We love it here and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. The teachers and staff are all amazing and really genuinely care for their students and their families as well. It is a very personable school with so much to offer.

Posted: November 7, 2024

Posted: October 29, 2024

Our child has been Palmer since ECE 3 and morning 4th grade. We absolutely love Palmer as a family and believe its the best elementary school in Denver!!

Posted: October 29, 2024

Posted: October 16, 2024

We have been at Palmer since Kindergarten and my oldest is now in 3rd grade. It has been an amazing experience. The community is like nothing I have ever experienced. Everyone is looking out for each other and kids really support each other. Both of my children have had great teachers who truly care about the kids - it is so much more than a job for them. I am so grateful for this school!!

Posted: October 16, 2024

Community is amazing. Love the teachers! Super dedicated to the students.

Posted: October 16, 2024

Posted: October 15, 2024

We are a long-time Palmer family, with three kids who have gone there (and two there now). We love the small school with strong community feel.

Our kids love that they know and interact with all of the teachers in all of the grades either through encounters during the day, or after-school enrichments led by the teachers. They have a strong arts and music program, and the music teacher is wonderful (and plays at all the school events). The PTA is strong and inclusive, and the student body is diverse, giving kids exposure to people from all walks of life.

Many of the classes are small, but the few that are larger get extra support from the great paraprofessionals who are hired on. There is also additional reading and academic support for kids who are falling behind, in addition to a dedicated gifted and talented teacher who creates extra lessons for students who want more academically.

Many of the kids are local and in the neighborhood, and it's not uncommon to see them playing in the neighborhood after school and on the weekends.

The after-school program is run by the YMCA, and my second grader insists on going rather than walking home at 3 PM. In addition to the after-school program, there are always enrichments offered after school, including classes like Chess, muraling, and soccer.

We love Palmer and are really happy we sent our kids there.

Posted: October 8, 2024

This school is a wonderful neighborhood gem. The small school environment is perfect for my kiddo.

Posted: October 8, 2024

My daughter Lila has been incredibly happy here. She is learning well and its been such an amazing community.

Posted: October 8, 2024

Posted: December 15, 2022

Palmer has provided an exceptional experience for my daughter. All of her teachers have been fantastic and provided a stimulating, fun, inclusive learning environment. She's made great friends from all backgrounds and walks of life. We love the small school experience and the fact that every child receives individualized attention. The YMCA after-school program is great and easy to get intono wait list or shuttling kids off-site! We also like that the bell time is later than many schools! We're lucky to have such a wonderful school right in our own neighborhood.

Posted: December 15, 2022

Posted: November 11, 2022

I'll admit--when my daughter was nearing entry to Kindergarten in the Fall of 2021, Palmer Elementary--our neighborhood school, a half-block from our house-- was not my first choice.

What I've come to learn since then, however, was how wrong I was. First impressions can be deceiving, and my snap judgement about Palmer was an example of this case in point.

After visiting multiple (much larger) nearby elementary schools and hearing from other families who attend those, I've realized how unique and special Palmer is. What we lack in size, our school makes up for in community, heart, and a shared sense of purpose.

Is Palmer perfect? Not by a long shot. Is the school, parent community, and talented teaching team committed to ensuring that every child who walks through our doors gets the opportunity they deserve? Without a doubt.

Especially as our country remains so divisive, having a place like Palmer--where our kids can feel a sense of belonging and be psychologically safe--is so critical to our collective healing. This is where smaller schools like Palmer shine--creating more opportunities for young people to be known, both by one another and by the adults in the building. In short, these are the ingredients you need if you want to cultivate high-achieving, high-performing schools.

Palmer has all of these aspects and has only begun to hit our stride.

Posted: November 11, 2022

Posted: April 24, 2022

We really enjoyed Palmer pre-pandemic, and have made a great many friends here. However, we faced a multitude of issues trying to go back this year - lack of access to resources, dismissive staff, difficulties in communication, no extracurricular activities (music, checking books out, etc.). The before and after school care cannot accommodate all of the families that need it. There is no air conditioning in the school, which is a big deal on 100 degree days - and our student was refused access to his backpack and water bottle during this time. Parents are not allowed in the school and I suspect there is no cleaning staff - my child reported overflowing trash cans as the reason he came home with his lunch box full of trash. He was also made to clean his classroom on the first day back to school.

Teachers have a high turnover rate. They seem quite unhappy and reluctant to help; it is no longer the warm place we once loved. The classroom ratio is definitely higher than 15 to 1. My son was in a combined 3rd and 4th grade class of nearly 40. The principal was not interested in addressing any of our concerns with tangible solutions.

We placed our son elsewhere and were shocked at the immediate and positive difference we experienced. He went from hating school (fear of being yelled at and called out in front of the class) to a happy, excited student ready to learn.

Posted: April 24, 2022

My child was bullied on multiple occasions across two different school years and the new principal did nothing despite many efforts on our part. It seems like there is no support for staff from the top down. Parents arent allowed in the building at all, which I think is weird. Our family has been at Palmer for the past 5 years and since the new staffing appointments things have gone downhill. We will not be returning to Palmer after this school year.

Posted: April 24, 2022

Posted: November 9, 2020

Palmer is great. Just a wonderful neighborhood and community feel.

Posted: November 9, 2020

Great school, great student body, the kids really develop respect for each other

Posted: November 9, 2020

Posted: April 2, 2017

I love Palmer Elementary School. I choiced my daughter into this school four years ago, and I couldnt be more pleased. The school is one-to-one with technology, and these days being fluent with technology is vital to success. The class sizes are small. The teachers are caring and responsive. Also, Palmer offers a personalized education. They flexibly group students so that every student receives what they need to be successful. My daughter is identified G.T., and the teachers at Palmer continually find creative ways to challenge her. I would definitely recommend this school to other parents.

Posted: December 15, 2016

It's a great averment and great people

Posted: May 18, 2016

Palmer is our neighborhood school, but I'm opting for another school next year for my children. The teacher turnover rate is very high, and even more disturbing is the fact that teachers are leaving in the middle of the year. This happened to both of my kids! My son did OK when his teacher left, but the transition was really difficult for my daughter. The principal is not honest with families about what's happening at the school, so we all feel left in the dark.

Posted: May 18, 2016

The turnover rate among teachers is so high, there isn't any continuity for the students.

Posted: May 18, 2016

Posted: December 10, 2015

I havey 5 year old son in rolled in mis Hansen's kindergarten class. She is said to be a good teacher.....I wouldn't know though, she has not been there sence the first week! I get that women have babies but the preparation taken for this was very poor! For the first three weeks she was gone there was a flow of sub after sub basically babysitting our kids! Then there was a sub said to be there until mis Hansen could return......that lasted a few days and back to the drawing board! A few subs later we got Mis Maya, she was great and did stay through the remainder of mis Hansen's maturity leave. My son has had below average behavior through this confusing and completely inconsistent time! The entire class with I think 2 or 3 accepting tested below average........just not ok! I will be switching schools and unfortunately my child will have to catch up!

Posted: July 31, 2015

We love Palmer. It's a wonderful, involved, diverse community. The teachers go above and beyond, the PTA is extremely involved. Great school!

Posted: July 31, 2015

Posted: November 3, 2014

I love Palmer. Great teachers and a new Principal are moving this school forward in a very positive way! New computers! Great community of parents making things happen educational and culturally. Our school is growing in many ways.

Posted: December 15, 2013

My son just started at Palmer in Kindergarten this year. The school felt solid to me, but not exciting and had been our second choice. Now I am so glad we came here. Palmer got a new principal over the summer and she is great - very knowledgeable, approachable and involved. Palmer has had steady growth in test scores over the past years, and is now set to build on that foundation to become a really good, innovative and dynamic school.

Posted: January 31, 2013

My kids love Palmer! We have been at the school for 3 years and will continue thru 5th grade. My kids have thrived there. We are a multi-racial family and I love the diversity of the school. Hard to find in DPS. (My kids attended another DPS school in 1st grade and our family had to deal with some racism.) I have found that the teachers are very approachable and interested in every child in their class. There are many different extracurricular activities from sports to Shakespeare and learning languages. I have a friend who kids were a top performing school in DPS ((but where they did not feel welcome) who moved her kids to Palmer this year and they are loving it.

Posted: January 26, 2013

This is our first year at Palmer and my son is in the Advanced Kindergarten class. The school wasn't our first choice but we have been generally impressed. He is learning well and his class is learning together. Teachers are generally friendly and accessible and the principal is straightforward. She could be friendlier but you can't argue with the school's performance levels and improvement it has made. We are hoping to choice into the school next year and that should indicate our happiness.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Cherry Creek	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Denver	CO	1.7 mi
2	Sterling Hills West	Area of Town	Aurora	CO	9.4 mi
3	Forest Lakes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Monument	CO	46.3 mi
4	Flying Horse	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	49.8 mi

#	Name	City	State	Overall Rating	Distance
1	Loveland	Loveland	CO		46.4 mi
2	North Gate Blvd	Colorado Springs	CO		49 mi

Palmer Elementary School

Denver, CO 80220

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Palmer Elementary School

Denver, CO 80220

School Ratings

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