Our District
Welcome to Mapleton Public Schools!
Mapleton Public Schools is an internationally accredited public school district located in the Thornton/North Denver area of unincorporated Adams County. We are committed to raising expectations, providing choices for learning, and removing obstacles for all students to guarantee all students achieve their dreams and enthusiastically contribute to their community, country, and world.
Located in one of the fastest-growing counties in Colorado, Mapleton covers 25 square miles and serves suburban and light industrial communities, with new neighborhoods and developments popping up every year.
Mapleton serves more than 7,000 students in small-by-design brick-and-mortar schools and one K-12 online school. Each student comes from a unique background with their own set of talents, interests, circumstances, and motivations. Mapleton offers a robust preschool program with full-day and half-day options for 3-and-4-year olds, in-person and online learning opportunities for students in grades K-12, and an alternate pathway to high school graduation for young adults up to age 21.
In 2022, Mapleton Public Schools received a six-year national and international accreditation term from the Cognia Global Commission. A systems accreditation by the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means Mapleton has a nationally recognized mark of quality for the district and each school within the district. It demonstrates Mapleton's commitment to excellence, willingness to grow from feedback, and desire to guarantee all students have the opportunities, experiences, and education necessary to achieve their dreams.
By placing relationships at the forefront of our work, Mapleton's schools offer safe, family-like environments of relentless support. In Mapleton, you won't slip through the cracks or get lost in the crowd.
District-wide Reinvention
Mapleton Public Schools has responded to the needs of its community by reinventing much of what public education looks like. When traditional school models stopped inspiring students, Mapleton explored academic options that would engage students and reenergize a comprehensive culture of learning. In 2006, Mapleton Public Schools unveiled a reinvention plan focused on rigor, relevance, relationships, and choice. The reinvention converted a system of traditional neighborhood elementary and middle schools and one large comprehensive high school into schools that are small-by-design. As a District of Choice, families choose a school that best fits the needs of their children. Mapleton provides transportation for all students living within the District, doing away with the limitations of the “neighborhood school.” Mapleton’s schools are small-by-design and serve students ages 3-21.
District Boundaries
Mapleton covers 25 square miles and serves suburban, rural, and light industrial communities.
Small-by-design
Mapleton offers a full menu of schools that are small-by-design with different education models, including Dual Language, Gifted and Talented, EL (Expeditionary Learning), STEM, Project Lead the Way, Leadership, Visual and Performing Arts, University Partnership, Big Picture, and online.
District of Choice
In Mapleton, there are no "neighborhood schools." This means that instead of being automatically enrolled in your neighborhood school, we invite you to select from a full menu of schools based on the learning style, interests, and passions of your child. If you live within Mapleton's district boundaries, we will provide transportation to your school of choice (if you live a mile or more from your school of choice).