PSD Points of Distinction
Poudre School District has much to celebrate! Below are some of our students', schools', and district's numerous achievements for the 2006-07 school year, as well as facts about our district.
Higher Education & Workplace Readiness
- More than 65% of PSD graduates enroll in a college or university immediately following graduation; 82% enroll within 3 years of graduation compared to 58% statewide.
- 65% attended a four-year college; of that, 84% in a public institution.
- 79% of PSD’s college-bound students attend in-state colleges and universities; 21% attend out of state.
- 28% of PSD graduates attend Front Range Community College, 27% Colorado State University, and 6% University of Northern Colorado.
- On average, PSD graduates entering CSU do so with a higher GPA than other incoming freshmen.
Academic Performance & Scholarships
- In 2007, PSD graduates earned $25.5 million in scholarships.
- Multiple PSD students earned National Merit Scholarships and Boettcher Scholarships.
- PSD students perform from 8%-19% higher than students statewide—in all subjects and in all 27 areas—on the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) tests.
- 11th and 12th graders consistently perform higher than students statewide and nationwide on ACT and SAT college entrance exams, with 2 students in 2007 earning perfect composite scores on the ACT.
Academic Team Awards
- High School Science Bowl, National Championship
- Ocean Science Bowl, State Title (high school, 6 years in a row)
- Science Olympiad, State Title (junior high), State Title (high school)
- Odyssey of the Mind, State Title (elementary)
- National Forensics League District Sweepstakes,1st place (high school, 4 years in a row)
- Colorado Mathematical Olympiad, Gold Medal (high school)
- International Science & Engineering Fair, 2 Regional Titles (junior high)
- Lego Robotics Competition, State Title (junior high)
- Future Problem-Solving Bowl, State Title (elementary)
Schools & Educational Choices
Educational choices in PSD include:
- 28 Neighborhood Elementary Schools
- 8 Neighborhood Junior High Schools
- 4 Comprehensive Neighborhood High Schools
- International Baccalaureate (IB) schools
- Core Knowledge schools
- Bilingual immersion and focus schools (Spanish/English)
- Science focus school
- Arts & Technology focus school
- Expeditionary Learning Schools
- Advanced Placement & Pre-Advanced Placement curriculum
- Charter schools
- Alternative non-neighborhood High School
- Multiple alternative secondary programs
- Head start & early childhood programs
Neighborhood Schools & School Choice
PSD’s School Choice program allows families to select the school that best meets their child’s educational needs. Space permitting, families may choose to send their child to a neighborhood school located outside their attendance area or a specialty school. More than 70% of PSD families choose to send their children to their neighborhood school, the school located in the attendance area in which they live.
Student Population
Approximate Student Enrollment
- Kindergarten—12th grade 23,776
- Preschool Students 707
Student Ethnicity
- African American 1.9%
- Asian or Pacific Islander 3.2%
- Hispanic/Latino 15.0%
- Native American/Alaskan 1.1%
- White 78.8%
- Students participating in free and/or reduce price lunch program (K-6 only) 24.4%
- Students served by Special Education programs 9.6%
Dropout Rate
| Year |
PSD |
State |
| 2001 |
1.9% |
2.9% |
| 2002 |
1.7% |
2.6% |
| 2003 |
1.8% |
2.4% |
| 2004 |
5.7% |
3.8% |
| 2005 |
5.0% |
4.2% |
| 2006 |
2.9% |
4.5% |
Volunteers
More than 10,000 parents and community members directly support student education by serving on School Improvement Teams, the District Advisory Board or by volunteering in other ways.
Transportation
166 buses safely transport approximately 12,000 students along 688 routes daily
Geographic Size
PSD covers 1,856 square miles in northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, Laporte, Timnath, Wellington, Red Feather, Livermore, Stove Prairie, and parts of Windsor.
Highly Qualified Staff
PSD, the ninth largest school district in Colorado and the third largest employer in Fort Collins, includes:
- Total employees 3,287
- Certified 1,713
- Classified 1,491
- Administrators 83
Certified Staff
- 99% are "highly qualified"*
- 98% of classes are taught by "highly qualified"* teachers
- 100% of classes in high poverty schools are taught by "highly qualified"* teachers
- 58% hold master’s degrees
- 2% hold doctorate degrees
- Average 11 years of teaching experience
*as defined by No Child Left Behind federal legislation
Administrators
- 89% hold master’s degrees or higher
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