University Park Elementary School

2300 South Saint Paul Street

School District

Denver County 1
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Denver County 1 School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 04, 2024

As parents of a first grader, we have been absolutely thrilled with U Park. My son is excited to go to school every single morning and can’t wait to tell me about everything at the end of the day. He has had two wonderful teachers so far, and we feel very supported at the school. Beyond that, the school community is fantastic. Parents want to be involved, whether it’s donating time or resources or just supporting their own kids at home which makes the overall experience better for every single student. We honestly could not have asked for a better school experience and are very much looking forward to having two kids at U Park next year!
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2024

We've got a Kindergartner and 2nd grader at UPark and we absolutely adore our school. The school is supported by an absolutely fantastic community and highly engaged PTA. Teachers and administration are accessible, engaged, and deeply care about each student. One of our favorite parts of the school's philosophy is how they manage conflict and resolution among the kids - the kids are taught a framework and are coached by the staff, with accountability placed on the students to adhere to the model. As a result, I've not heard a single report of bullying from either of my kids and I've witnessed growth in their own ability to manage emotions and navigate conflicts with peers (and each other!). UPark is a super welcoming and positive community and I'm so thankful to be part of it!
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2024

Our son started at UPark for Kindergarten this year. Wow! - that about sums it up. We have felt included and connected to this very engaged community from Day 1. Our son is excited to go to school, he and his teacher exchange hugs and positive affirmations and we have met so many awesome families through the school (hello, play dates!). We love the discussion topics that our son brings to the dinner table from his school learnings. Plus, there are multiple opportunities for parents to volunteer at the school to stay connected to their child’s day (no matter what your schedule) - from 20 minute lunch room heroes to one-time gingerbread house making to library reader every Tuesday. Can’t say enough good things about the UPark experience!
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2024

Idyllic community school with wonderful, experienced staff and teachers. My son has been so thrilled with his first year as a Kindergartener. We “Choiced-in” from another Denver neighborhood and have no regrets!
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2024

UPark is an amazing elementary school! From the moment I walked through the doors for my school tour until five years later, I am very happy with the education my children are receiving at UPark. The community is amazing and very welcoming. Walking in the doors feels like home and everyone does their part to make you feel included and that you belong. The teachers go above and beyond for our students. I am proud to belong to this community. Go UPark!
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2024

We have a 1st grader at UPark and we are incredibly impressed with the school. Our son is thriving, reading well, and scoring in 90%+ on standardized exams. The teachers and staff are great and most of all THE COMMUNITY! Smart, involved, kind families! Welcoming and KIND! It is delightful to see our community school thriving! So glad we moved to this neighborhood and joined this school!
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2024

My son is in Kindergarten at Upark and we couldn’t be happier. The teachers, administrators and staff are lovely to work with. My son is excited to go to school every day. He raves about the after school enrichments as well (he’s done art, cooking and movement madness). We feel really lucky to be a part of such a wonderful community and have enjoyed getting to know all the families in the neighborhood and those who choice in. I really can’t say enough positive things about the school!
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2024

We could not have had a better experience with a school. The teachers from kinder on up have been amazing. They have all been there a long time - the low turnover of the teaching staff, along with their quality, shows that a lot is going right at UPark. The atmosphere from everyone (staff to other parents) is very welcoming too. We attend events put on by the PTA or other parents (like a Kinder welcome party, the Fun Run, and gatherings hosted for parents) and have loved connecting with so many folks. We feel honored to be a part of this community and will be for many more years to come.
Submitted by parent on December 10, 2023

We have mixed reviews of Upark. While we have found most teachers/paras and class sizes great. This school lacks leadership at the highest level. Miscommunication and distrust from teachers and parents in this leaders recent tenure has created systemic issues. There are lots of things to like about this school (diversity, small class sizes, small community), unfortunately without leadership it’s a flailing community riding on good reviews of the past.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2023

9/10 Test Scores! 8/10 Student Progress! University Park Elementary is a phenomenal school! We have a 2nd grade student and rising kindergartener that will be attending. Every teacher that we have had has been dedicated, communicative, fun loving, and had great control in the classroom. There is very little turnover in staff at UPark which shows the positive and engaged environment that it is. Our child is in Gifted and Talented and has a customized experience for not only his academics, but his social/emotional needs. Outside of the academics, there is a fun, engaged, joyful community associated with the school. The parent body is incredibly supportive, and we have an active and thriving PTA. Aside from the equity score (which has no effect on our children's experience) UPark is excelling in all areas. I would caution putting too much notice on that equity score, as many of the surrounding schools are not impacted by that score in anyway, and pull from a less diverse racial and socio-economic surroundings. Additionally, UPark is situated on quiet streets in a peaceful neighborhood. We have always felt our students are safe making their way to school.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2022

UPark is an awesome school and we are excited to soon have a second kiddo starting there. The faculty, staff, kids, and the (very active) PTA and parents makes this an incredible community. And it seems to be getting only better, more community, more fun coming out of the pandemic. So community - A+. Love it. Now, some of the "grades" from Great Schools are pretty off when you dive into them. Specifically Progress and Equity seem off from my and other parents' perspectives. First, on progress where UPark got a 4/10 as if this writing. This Progress data was from 2019, so I am not sure how it is now in 2022, but I and parents I talk to at UPark LOVE how the teachers track and push kids on progress. We got a report a few times throughout the year on progress that included both a "progress goal" and "progress stretch goal" for our kiddo in various subjects (mainly math and reading). We were quickly able to see he was really progressing in math (he had nearly reached his stretch goal for the whole year by mid-year). But his progress in reading was a bit behind his goal. With that insight, teachers (and us as parents) were able to put more effort on his reading and by the end of the year he was caught up. Measure progress and do something about it - that is what UPark is all about. Second, on Equity. As of this writing in August 2022, UPark is the only elementary school in the area that has an "equity rating" which really brings UParks "Great Schools" overall rating down. I am not clear why this would be the only elementary school in the area (all a part of Denver Public Schools) to have this Equity element of the rating scale included. It's a bit odd from the Great Schools website. But beyond that anomaly, I know the UPark team and PTA works incredibly hard on supporting lower income families, both in and out of the classroom. And that includes dealing with a very internationally diverse population (with a nice amount of non-native English speaking kids being at the school from families temporarily stationed at DU - as visiting professors, grad students, etc.). And last, but not least, being a part of a neighborhood school is really awesome for our kids and our family. This is an area that some kids go to private schools, and I sometimes feel bad for them because their community of friends are spread out far and wide. Ours are all within biking distance of us and so our kids have their friends close!
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2022

I had my kiddos in private school before begrudgingly signing them up for public school and through my research I found UPark.I felt good about this school in particular after meeting The vice principal, Ms Jacobsen and then soon fell in love with my kiddos kindergarten teachers, Ms. Morof and Mrs. Laurent. They make each child in their care feel seen, validated and accountable. But what’s best, the whole staff at Upark are a solid team, driven by passion for children’s education. I’ve had the inspirational pleasure of seeing this school rise up while on locked down and the staff are the most compassionate yet firm suppot system I could have ever hoped for as the community I chose to assist my children through their education. I’m very proud of this school and what they’ve done for my children.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2022

My son is thriving at University Park Elementary School! I feel that the teachers, staff and administration truly care about the "whole child" development of all students and I love the strong sense of community at the school. (Even during COVID years.) All of the teachers and staff are phenomenal and the small class sizes are so beneficial to students' learning. In addition to his primary teachers, my son has a strong connection with the fantastic Art, PE, Music, Drama and Library teachers and para professionals as well. Our family has made many friends at UPARK and we couldn't be happier with our neighborhood school!
Submitted by parent on January 14, 2020

Good teacher, Good stuffs, my kids have been to Upark since 2015 , they never have any problems.They enjoy going to school.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2018

OMG this is one of the best schools EVER. My son was in the AN room and the first teacher they had was horrible, but when they got Ms.kendra it was so life changing for everyone. She encouraged the kids to be social and get out the classroom, she let them eat downstairs with the rest of the kids she made sure they were included in EVERYTHING. Dealing with AN kids is a difficult job, but she did amazing she communicated daily I stop getting calls daily, my son enjoyed school more and I was listened to as a parent. I was always welcome in the classroom. The hole staff in this building was supportive and friendly, especially the office staff and mr.grant the principal. Mr. Steve was also.a great support for my son they really cared for my child. I wish the AN program went all the way to 5th grade because Ms.kendra definitely gets them ready for real life and she treats them like human. And the paras they were amazing as well. Everyone respected my point of view even when they didn't agree. I will miss this school this fall my son had a great support system. If you have a child who is in a AN classroom I recommend this school hands down because they care
Submitted by parent on July 18, 2016

My son had a really bad speech problem, no eye contact,and very little interaction with other children. He has been with UPark Elementry School from kindergarden to 2nd grade, Sence then , he's been talking, interacting ,making eye contact and say's hi to everyone, everywhere we go.His reading, writting, math and spelling have been brought up to where they should be. I am so proud of my son,and so thankful to UPark Elementry.
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2014

UPark has been an excellent school for our family for the past 3 years. We live in the neighborhood and looked at other schools, including private, and are so glad we chose UPark. They are known for their Wellness Program, which has been great. They also have a one-of-a-kind before and after school program. Some of the programs are free, and some of them are paid and include science, math, drama, writing, cooking, etc. UPark is also a Janus Blended Learning site, which means we got technology for the classrooms from the Janus Foundation, but they also give support and training so teachers know how to use it to individualize instruction. The community is very warm and welcoming, and everyone gets to know each other. We are very culturally and socio-economically diverse. A lot of the parents are students or professors from DU and come from all over the world, and the school celebrates the different backgrounds and makes it a learning experience.
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2014

We are almost through our first year at UPark and I cannot say what a wonderful experience this has been for our son. He is absolutely thriving in this environment both academically and emotionally. All of his teachers are amazing educators and have instilled a love of learning in our son. We could not be happier with our choice of school and feel incredibly lucky to have such an incredible resource in our community.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2013

We love this school!!!! All of the positive reviews are in line with what we are experiencing. However, we cannot give this school a full 5 star rating due to the extremely large class size (25 kids in a K class!!!!) The teachers are VERY good but sometimes I worry if our child will receive enough instruction time to reach full potential. Our child is ahead of the curve in some areas and I don't yet have a handle on whether they will have the time to do more advanced instruction or if our child will stay at par with the rest of the class in those areas---meaning we will be supplementing the more advanced training at home. So far so good, and our child loves school. The teachers seem to have a good program in place to instruct all of those little people and overall the school performs very well. It is just something we are keeping a close eye on as we progress through the year.
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2013

Truly great school. Unlike most highly rated schools, UPark has a higher percentage of minority students, as well as students receiving free and reduced lunch. As many have noted, the diversity is what makes this school so special. I am confident that my son is receiving a well rounded education both academically and emotionally. Very happy with our choice to attend!