History and background

In November of 2004, the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education selected Ryan Elementary to be the district’s first Science and Math Focus Program.  Using a Design Team structure with teachers, parents and district administrators involved, Ryan began creating their vision for the math and science focus.  This team gathered best practice data on a national level, visited model programs throughout the country, and created our new vision for the school.

Ryan is fortunate to be classified as both a K-5 neighborhood school and a focus school.  This means that Ryan students receive all of the exemplary programming offered through the traditional BVSD curriculum and additional course study emphasizing the areas of math and science.  Being a neighborhood focus school also means that students who live inside Ryan’s boundary area (generally south Lafayette) are automatically admitted to Ryan and do not need to go through open enrollment. Students within the neighborhood boundary may also receive bus service to and from school.

Ryan’s classification as a focus school with an emphasis on math and science means that students can look forward to a focused program of study and enrichment integrated throughout the school curriculum.  Students learn from experts in the  fields of engineering and medicine, hands-on exploration of physical, life and earth science concepts in our science lab, computer lab, and chef’s lab, special field trips and assemblies that advance the school’s curriculum, and opportunities for even more in-depth analysis and acceleration through Ryan’s classroom and expanded TAG programming.