King-Murphy Elementary School

This school is a gem. I have one that went thru K thru 6 and my second child is now in 5th grade there. The teachers are always willing to put in the extra time and effort to learn new teaching techniques'; from a new curriculum (in process of rolling out the International Baccalaureate programme) and technology (every classroom has a SmartBoard and Doc Camera). Parent involvement is very high. Our small school offers Spanish to all students in addition to music, art, PE and computers. Cannot rate K-M higher.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children at King Murphy and our experience has been wonderful. The teachers are smart, caring and creative. The school is small so most of the kids get to know each other and the older children help the younger children with reading and other things. Many parents volunteer and even if you work full time, there are ways to volunteer with special activities outside of school hours. There is a general attitude here of pride in excellence and the school is working to become an IB school with a focus on international culture, languages and issues.
--Submitted by a parent

I have a senior that came up through KM and currently have a 1st and 3rd grader attending KM. King Murphy has been consistently providing outstanding education and preparation for future learning since we have been associted with the school.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of two children at King-Murphy and cannot recommend it enough. It is a small school with strong parental involvement. Besides the regular curriculum, the school provides extracurricular programs in science, foreign languages, and the arts. Many of the teachers spend their entire teaching careers here. This year one teacher is retiring after 30 years at K-M, and another teacher will be retiring next year after a similar amount of time. I cannot imagine sending my children to school elsewhere.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a third-grader at King-Murphy, and my opinion that that it is a terrific school. It academics are very strong (it has received the John Irwin Award from Colo. Dept. Of Education for each of the last 4 or 5 years, meaning it is one of the top 8% of Colorado schools) and is consistently top-rated as 'excellent' by CDE. It is a small school, with close student-teacher interaction. The faculty is very skilled and well-loved. Contrary to another commenter's perspective, most of the teachers and staff have taught there for many years, and while there is some turnover of a small percentage of teachers as at any school, King-Murphy's reputation attracts excellent teachers. The setting on the side of Hicks Mountain is spectacular, and there is a great playground. Parent involvement is very high and very positive. All in all, it is a great school.
--Submitted by a parent

Teaching is extremely inconsistent. The teachers come and go, therefore, it interrupts the teaching of the students. The test scores are high because the teachers teach out of the test booklet all year long! I do not recommend this school or any other schools in this Clear Creek County district.
--Submitted by a parent

Three things make this school great: teachers, kids, and parents. Parent involvement at King-Murphy is outstanding, with volunteer-led enrichment programs, a very ambitious and successful PTA, plenty of classroom volunteers, and amazing overall enthusiasm. You can't have kids in this school and not want to get involved! The kids are great, the teachers are outstanding, the academics top-notch (KM has received an 'Excellent' rating since before we've been going there). Also important is the emphasis on health and exercise. Our mountain kids get 3 recesses a day on a well-planned and exciting playground, and my child's grade gets gym twice a week. The art and music programs are also outstanding. The staff is warm, approachable, visible, and loved by all the kids. Just an overall great school!
--Submitted by Proud to be a KM Mom, a parent