Aurora Joint District No. 28

The Aurora Joint District No. 28 in Colorado operates 52 schools, including 37 elementary, 6 middle, 6 high, and 3 alternative schools, serving a diverse student population. While the district as a whole lags behind state averages in academic performance, a few standout schools, such as Aurora Quest K-8 and Murphy Creek K-8 School, are able to achieve exceptional results, demonstrating that high performance is possible even in challenging circumstances.

The district's student population is racially diverse, with high percentages of Hispanic and African American students. However, many schools have high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high levels of economic disadvantage. This correlation between socioeconomic status and academic performance is evident, as the schools with the highest free and reduced lunch rates tend to have the lowest test scores.

Despite the overall challenges, the presence of several charter schools, such as Lotus School for Excellence and AXL Academy, suggests that school choice may be a factor in student success, as these schools often have more flexibility and autonomy in their approaches. The data highlights areas where the district can focus its efforts to improve student outcomes, such as addressing the performance gaps, supporting schools with high rates of economic disadvantage, and learning from the practices of the district's highest-performing schools.