PSD Elementary Schools

smiling elementary students

Strong foundations start here.

PSD’s elementary schools provide nurturing environments where children build curiosity, confidence, and a love for learning. Every campus offers free, full-day kindergarten, small class sizes, caring teachers, and engaging programs that spark imagination — from hands-on science and the arts to bilingual and Core Knowledge learning. Discover the right start for your child in PSD.

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PSD Elementary Schools

Bacon Elementary

Exterior of Bacon elementary

 

A renowned neighborhood school in Southeast Fort Collins featuring an outdoor classroom and strong academic performance

  • Center-based autism program
  • Extra focus on positive behavior systems (BARK and 8 Keys of Excellence)
  • Excellent teacher retention

 

Bamford Elementary

exterior of Bamford elementary

A hidden gem neighborhood school serving Northeast Loveland, West Windsor, and Southeast Fort Collins

  • Innovative curricula including EL Education, Envision and Mystery Science, and Sources of Strength
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and media center included in specials
  • Beautiful, state-of-the-art new building

 

    Bauder Elementary

    Elementary Exterior

    A walk-and-bikeable neighborhood school with strong growth scores and an excellent counseling program

    • Inclusive, whole-child focus
    • Early childhood and center-based autism programs
    • Strong Gifted and Talented program

     

       

        Beattie Elementary

        exterior and teachers at Beattie Elementary school

         

        An innovative, heart-filled neighborhood school featuring open classrooms and outdoor learning spaces

        • Co-teaching model, partnering with CSU
        • Good choice for for multilingual learners
        • Platinum wellness school/health school distinctions

         

          Bennett Elementary

          Bennett Elementary exterior

           

          The strength of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, the heart of a true whole-child focus, in a smaller, close-knit neighborhood school

          • Affective needs center-based program
          • IB World School with a commitment to International Mindedness
          • Lots of movement breaks, two recesses, and hands-on learning focus
          • EL Education resources

            Bethke Elementary

            Bethke Exterior

            Southeast Timnath’s Core Knowledge neighborhood school featuring award-winning academic performance and a sustainability focus 

            • Award-winning inclusive professional learning community
            • Character Strong Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum
            • Strong family and community partnerships

              Cache la Poudre Elementary

              School Exterior

              A small-school environment at the base of the Poudre Canyon with a trauma-responsive focus 

              • International Baccalaureate (IB) world school
              • Hundred-year history
              • Affective needs center-based program

                Dunn Elementary

                Dunn Student working on a science assignment.

                A sought-after International Baccalaureate (IB) World School with exceptional academic achievement

                • Center-based autism program
                • Near CSU for unique field trips and learning opportunities

                  Eyestone Elementary

                  School Exterior

                  A small-town, close-knit neighborhood school with a strong emphasis on early literacy and foundational skills

                  • Early childhood magnet program and center-based autism program
                  • Teachers deeply committed to evidence-based instruction
                  • HEART values (Helpfulness, Empathy, Accountability, Respect, and Tenacity) Social-Emotional Learning
                  • Split campus to devote specialized spaces to older and younger elementary students

                    Harris Bilingual Elementary

                    Exterior of Harris elementary school

                     

                    PSD’s choice-only* dual language immersion school, helping students to enter their futures with fluency in both English and Spanish

                    • High levels of academic achievement in English and Spanish
                    • Bilingualism and biliteracy focus
                    • Culturally responsive learning environments that value diversity, inclusivity, and equity
                    • Curriculum fosters adaptiveness, open-mindedness, cultural competency, and global awareness

                    *Choice-only schools are not charter schools – they are PSD public schools that do not have a neighborhood boundary, so they require a School of Choice application to attend.

                      Irish Escuela Bilingüe

                      School Exterior

                      A beloved neighborhood school offering dual language (English and Spanish) immersion

                      • Social-emotional learning in both languages
                      • Diverse student body
                      • Extra blocks of art, music, any physical education
                      • Free, comprehensive in-house after school program offering music, sports, art, tutoring, and leadership opportunities

                        Johnson Elementary

                        Johnson Elementary

                        Southwest Fort Collins's Whole Child Network school and Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award recipient 

                         
                        • Full 60 minutes of specials daily including include art, maker space, music, PE, technology education, social/emotional learning, and more
                        • Very close proximity to feeder middle school, which supports smooth transitions and strong connections for students at every stage
                        • Award-winning after-school enrichment programs including Choir, Math Olympiads, and Odyssey of the Mind
                        • Center-based autism program

                        Kruse Elementary

                        Exterior of Kruse elementary school

                         

                        A high-achieving, National Blue Ribbon neighborhood school

                        • Highly engaged Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
                        • Exceptional parent engagement ratings
                        • Exceptional staff retention

                          Laurel Elementary

                          Exterior of Laurel Elementary school

                           

                          A beloved central Fort Collins neighborhood school with a nature center outdoor classroom, and a diverse student body, and highly engaged Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

                          • New computer lab for typing, mouse skills, video creation, 3D printing design, coding, and more
                          • Strong music and arts program, including a renowned strings program
                          • Strong Gifted and Talented program

                            Linton Elementary

                            School Exterior

                            A diverse Southeast neighborhood school with extra time devoted to literacy instruction and specials

                            • All teachers of literacy are Orton-Gillingham trained
                            • Extensive family events and free before- and after-school programming
                            • Strong Gifted and Talented program

                              Livermore Elementary

                              Livermore Students in front of school

                              A small, rural school amidst the wide-open landscapes of northern Colorado where teachers know every student personally

                              • Functions as the center of a diverse mountain and ranching community
                              • Low student-teacher ratio, dual-grade classrooms
                              • Parents/guardians are active partners in each student's learning
                              • Colorado Department of Education (CDE) John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award and Governor's Distinguished Improvement Award recipient (along with Red Feather and Stove Prairie)

                                Lopez Elementary

                                School Exterior

                                An award-winning, close-knit, walkable neighborhood school featuring the Leader in Me program and lots of community outreach

                                • Leader in Me Legacy School (includes service learning)
                                • Center-based Integrated Learning Supports (ILS) program
                                • Strong local community feel

                                  McGraw Elementary

                                  School Exterior

                                  A high-performing International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering inquiry-based learning and Spanish language instruction for all students

                                  • Colorado Governor’s Distinguished Achievement Award, John Irwin School of Excellence Award, recently nominated as a National Blue Ribbon School
                                  • One of only three schools in Colorado nominated as an Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing School

                                    O’Dea Elementary

                                    O'dea Elementary school exterior

                                     

                                    Central Fort Collins’s high-performing Core Knowledge neighborhood school 

                                    • Center-based autism program
                                    • Governor's Distinguished Improvement Award for Academic Excellence

                                      Olander Elementary

                                      Olander elementary school exterior

                                       

                                      PSD’s only project-based learning elementary school, with a big-hearted, inclusivity-focused community

                                      • Project-based learning (PBL) is an engaging educational approach where students in every grade level work in teams on multidisciplinary projects that are structured around rich, real-world, and relevant research questions. PBL develops students' skills in investigation, collaboration, communication, time management, organization, and use of real-world technology
                                      • Second Elementary School in Colorado to receive the distinction of a Significant Support Needs Model Site for Integrated Services
                                      • Beautiful location adjacent to Spring Canyon Park

                                        Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

                                        exterior of Polaris

                                        PSD’s innovative, choice-only* expeditionary learning school, featuring a small and close-knit student body, weeklong intensives, adventure trips, and fieldwork experiences 

                                        • A welcoming, game-changing option for students who feel like they don’t fit in and students struggling in traditional school environments
                                        • Experiential, inquiry-based learning including portfolio development, presentations of learning, and standards-based grading throughout k-12
                                        • Equity focus and restorative justice approach to behavior management throughout k-12
                                        • Smallest middle school in PSD, leaving no room for students to be overlooked
                                        • Unique rites of passage, mixed-age learning and mentoring, and crew model for belonging and community-building
                                        • Collaboration with Poudre Community Academy for sports
                                        • Concurrent enrollment courses offered for earning college credit
                                        • All seniors graduate with work-based learning project portfolios and capstone completions
                                        • High School Career & Technical Education Pathways: Design & Multimedia, Natural Resources Management (the only program of its kind in CO), Outdoor Recreation (the only program of its kind in CO), PSD Career Tech Center Pathways

                                        *Choice-only schools are not charter schools – they are PSD public schools that do not have a neighborhood boundary, so they require a School of Choice application to attend.

                                         

                                             

                                               

                                                PSD Global Academy

                                                exterior of PGA

                                                A K-12 hybrid learning program welcoming diverse learners — from advanced students to those seeking an alternative to traditional schooling

                                                • PSD's only hybrid learning program
                                                • Small-school environment, small class sizes, supportive environment
                                                • Extensive family involvement opportunities
                                                • On-campus learning 2 days per week; at-home, asynchronous learning 3 days per week
                                                • Teachers provide and grade at-home assignments
                                                • Parents (Learning Coaches) provide guidance and review assignments completed at home
                                                • K-8 students attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays
                                                • 9-12 students attend on Mondays and Wednesdays
                                                • Engagement opportunities including Friday Fun Club, Learning Coach Wellness Walks, Student Ambassadors, Pioneer Way support for 9th graders, Learning Coach Coffees, Learning Labs for extra in-person support, National Honor Society, Garden Club, e-sports, enrichment clubs
                                                • High school students can participate in PSD's Career Tech Center Pathways, Concurrent Enrollment classes, and Front Range Community College

                                                  Putnam Elementary

                                                  School Exterior

                                                  A powerhouse high-growth neighborhood school with a low student-teacher ratio and collaborative teaching teams

                                                  • Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Centers of Excellence award-winning school
                                                  • Small neighborhood community environment, small class sizes
                                                  • Impact Team Model
                                                  • Center-based integrated learning services program

                                                    Red Feather Lakes Elementary

                                                    School Exterior

                                                    A gathering place at the center of the rural Red Feather Lakes community where families are connected to the land and one another

                                                    • Outdoor education and environmental stewardship utilizing the natural surroundings
                                                    • Low student-teacher ratio, small-school environment, dual-grade classrooms
                                                    • 10 acres of forested mountain campus
                                                    • Average staff experience of 13 years

                                                    Rice Elementary

                                                    Rice Elementary exterior

                                                     

                                                    Wellington’s Leader In Me neighborhood school with deep-rooted, close-knit local culture

                                                    • Student-led conferences to foster leadership in all students
                                                    • Center-based Integrated Learning Supports program

                                                     

                                                      Riffenburgh Elementary

                                                      School Exterior

                                                      A trauma-informed International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in a walkable south-central Fort Collins neighborhood

                                                      • Strong academic performance
                                                      • Robust professional learning focus for staff

                                                        Shepardson STEM Elementary

                                                        Students having fun on campus.

                                                        A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)-specialized neighborhood school utilizing inquiry-based and problem-based learning

                                                        • STEM emphasis including coding, robotics, engineering, and more
                                                        • Excellent academic achievement scores
                                                        • Exceptional community events that engage families and community experts in science and fun
                                                        • Center-based autism program

                                                          Stove Prairie Elementary

                                                          School Exterior

                                                          A historic, close-knit and tradition-oriented mountain school tucked away in the beautiful hills of Rist Canyon

                                                          • PSD's oldest continuously operating school, established in 1896
                                                          • Low student-teacher ratio, small-school environment, dual-grade classrooms
                                                          • Outdoor education and environmental stewardship utilizing the natural surroundings
                                                          • 75% of staff hold graduate degrees

                                                            Tavelli Elementary

                                                            exterior of Tavelli elementary

                                                             

                                                            PSD’s National Blue Ribbon-awarded, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math)-focused school

                                                            • Mobile Academic Classroom (MAC) brings summer STEAM, literacy, math and enrichment activities to students
                                                            • High academic performance, especially in math and reading
                                                            • PSD's only Colorado Department of Education (CDE) High Achieving School and Connect for Success partner
                                                            • Students utilize SMARTdata binders, goal setting, and reflection to take ownership of their learning

                                                               

                                                              Timnath Elementary

                                                              School Exterior

                                                              Timnath’s historic neighborhood school with deeply-rooted school traditions and close collaborations with the local community

                                                              • Unique programs for celebrating student success and positive behavior
                                                              • Multi-grade DENS program builds connections across grade levels

                                                                Traut Core Knowledge Elementary

                                                                Exterior photo of Traut core knowledge elementary school

                                                                 

                                                                PSD’s award-winning, choice-only* Core Knowledge school

                                                                • Site-Based Management Council: A unique governance model that includes seven family partners, six staff members and the principal
                                                                • Exceptional academic performance
                                                                • Parent Partnership Mentor program helps new families integrate and thrive

                                                                 

                                                                *Choice-only schools are not charter schools – they are PSD public schools that do not have a neighborhood boundary, so they require a School of Choice application to attend.

                                                                 

                                                                  Werner Elementary

                                                                  School Exterior

                                                                  South-Central Fort Collins’s beloved and award-winning neighborhood school

                                                                  • Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, John Irwin School of Excellence, and Governor's Distinguished Improvement Award recipient
                                                                  • Center-based Integrated Learning Services program
                                                                  • Excellent academic achievement scores

                                                                    Zach Elementary

                                                                    School Exterior

                                                                    A neighborhood school, utilizing the Core Knowledge curriculum, located in southeastern Fort Collins

                                                                    • Excellent academic performance and closing of achievement gaps – two-time National Blue Ribbon recognition
                                                                    • Internationally recognized Professional Learning Community
                                                                    • Sustainability-focused, state-of-the-art building

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