Walnut Hills Community Elementary School

Walnut Hills Community Elementary School, a reasonably sized elementary-level community in CENTENNIAL, Colorado, run under Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah, enrolls 342 students, covering grades pre-K through 5.

Walnut Hills Community Elementary School is one of 70 schools operated by Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah, a district that caters to 52,099 students overall.

Demographically, Walnut Hills Community Elementary School shows that the largest single group is White at 42%, but no single group is in the majority; the rest comes out to 28% Hispanic, 14% Asian, 12% multiracial, 3% Black. By comparison, Arapahoe County as a whole is about 59% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Walnut Hills Community Elementary School has 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 16.6:1, putting Walnut Hills Community Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 33% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Arapahoe County (around 50%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Walnut Hills Community Elementary School sits in the top 10% of Colorado schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 46.5%; actual is 60.0%, +13.5 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Around the school, Arapahoe County reports that the typical household earns roughly $101,087 per year, 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Walnut Hills Community Elementary School is one of 176 public schools in Arapahoe County (combined enrollment of about 115,502 students).

The closest other public school is Dry Creek Elementary School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Walnut Hills Community Elementary School ranks 8th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 65.4%.

The campus sits in a metropolitan setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Walnut Hills Community Elementary School has declined 7%, going from 367 students in 2018 to 342 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 63% to 42% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 19.6:1 in 2018 to 14.1:1 in 2025.

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