Is William Smith High School a good school?

William Smith High School ranks in the bottom 14.3% of Colorado high schools.

How many students attend William Smith High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 380 students attended William Smith High School.

What is the racial makeup of William Smith High School?

Students at William Smith High School are 72% Hispanic, 13% White, 7% African American, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

William Smith High School

Summary:

William Smith High School is a public high school located in Aurora, Colorado, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 380 students. The school is part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28, which is ranked 107 out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

William Smith High School consistently ranks in the bottom third of Colorado high schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance on standardized tests is significantly below the state and district averages, with only 9% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics, compared to 31% statewide and 14% in the district. The school has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 74.47% receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and its ranking for low socioeconomic status students is 173 out of 211 Colorado high schools. However, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 18 students per teacher, compared to the district average of 21 students per teacher.

The nearby schools, such as Aurora West College Preparatory Academy, Rangeview High School, Gateway High School, and Hinkley High School, all have similar demographic profiles and academic performance challenges, with most ranking in the bottom third of Colorado high schools. However, some schools, like Overland High School and DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School, which are part of different districts, perform significantly better on standardized tests and have higher rankings.

Detail:

Public 9-12

400 Airport Blvd
Aurora, CO 80011-9380

(303) 364-8715

District: Aurora Joint District No. 28

SchoolDigger Rank:
299^th of 349 Colorado High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,611

Student/teacher ratio: 18.0

Number of students: 380

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

71.8%

White:

12.6%

African American:

6.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 74.5%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare William Smith High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details William Smith High School ranks worse than 85.7% of high schools in Colorado. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked high schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.41. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at William Smith High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details William Smith High School has the largest high school student body size in the Aurora Joint District No. 28. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at William Smith High School is $17,611, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

William Smith High School:

SchoolDigger ranks William Smith High School 299^th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See William Smith High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Aurora Joint District No. 28:

SchoolDigger ranks Aurora Joint District No. 28 107^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for William Smith High School?

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Rank History for William Smith High School

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Rank History for all students at William Smith High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	4.85	265^th	279	5.0%
2005	6.49	261^st	280	6.8%
2006	5.58	270^th	286	5.6%
2007	6.78	274^th	298	8.1%
2008	20.88	243^rd	301	19.3%
2009	36.28	212^th	310	31.6%
2010	28.95	240^th	327	26.6%
2011	37.26	228^th	337	32.3%
2012	40.18	213^th	334	36.2%
2013	25.36	259^th	349	25.8%
2014	39.32	238^th	369	35.5%
2015	32.66	188^th	292	35.6%
2016	35.48	138^th	255	45.9%
2017	31.98	152^nd	256	40.6%
2018	17.70	304^th	388	21.6%
2019	23.47	304^th	411	26.0%
2023	20.28	276^th	349	20.9%
2024	14.41	299^th	349	14.3%

See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William Smith High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	44.69	100^th	188	46.8%
2022	19.70	173^rd	203	14.8%
2023	40.57	120^th	200	40.0%
2024	20.17	173^rd	211	18.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at William Smith High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	17.22	196^th	239	18.0%
2022	8.08	236^th	257	8.2%
2023	20.29	205^th	254	19.3%
2024	16.35	212^th	257	17.5%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at William Smith High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.57	119^th	135	11.9%
2024	12.54	125^th	140	10.7%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at William Smith High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	21.22	181^st	240	24.6%
2022	16.25	211^th	253	16.6%
2023	20.22	201^st	252	20.2%
2024	19.91	200^th	256	21.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at William Smith High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	31.85	115^th	181	36.5%
2022	15.72	176^th	205	14.1%
2023	29.09	135^th	198	31.8%
2024	17.12	169^th	199	15.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for William Smith High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	179	11	3	20	4	n/a	n/a	217
1989	154	41	3	35	3	n/a	n/a	236
1990	156	42	5	22	1	n/a	n/a	226
1991	163	42	0	17	0	n/a	n/a	222
1992	178	49	7	22	7	n/a	n/a	263
1993	171	40	7	16	7	n/a	n/a	241
1994	209	78	5	15	8	n/a	n/a	315
1995	144	72	10	39	12	n/a	n/a	277
1996	144	72	10	39	12	n/a	n/a	277
1997	145	71	15	36	4	n/a	n/a	271
1998	100	48	13	32	3	n/a	n/a	196
1999	78	53	3	47	2	n/a	n/a	183
2000	97	60	1	46	2	n/a	n/a	206
2001	108	55	6	50	2	n/a	n/a	221
2002	101	57	6	79	4	n/a	n/a	247
2003	101	57	6	79	4	n/a	n/a	247
2004	93	66	3	82	1	n/a	n/a	245
2005	75	76	3	109	3	n/a	n/a	266
2006	129	89	8	93	2	n/a	n/a	321
2007	85	71	9	72	3	n/a	n/a	240
2008	84	51	9	53	1	n/a	n/a	198
2009	112	52	5	72	5	n/a	n/a	246
2010	119	51	12	78	6	n/a	n/a	266
2011	94	41	9	104	5	2	14	269
2012	90	46	9	118	3	2	14	282
2013	97	46	11	139	2	2	11	308
2014	93	49	10	136	2	2	7	299
2015	91	37	8	151	3	1	12	303
2016	75	42	7	178	2	1	12	317
2017	68	40	7	186	2	1	15	319
2018	62	35	7	221	3	1	10	339
2019	60	39	7	237	5	1	10	359
2020	65	42	11	240	3	2	9	372
2021	51	34	16	264	3	2	8	378
2022	52	32	17	265	1	1	7	375
2023	48	26	18	273	1	1	13	380

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at William Smith High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	217	9.2	23.5	n/a
1989	236	11.4	20.7	0
1990	226	11.5	19.6	0
1991	222	11.6	19.1	0
1992	263	14.9	17.6	n/a
1993	241	14.8	16.3	39.8
1994	315	16.7	18.9	29.2
1995	277	15.7	17.7	25.3
1996	277	15.7	17.7	25.3
1997	271	14.8	18.3	19.9
1998	196	16.1	12.2	27.6
1999	183	14.5	12.6	14.8
2000	206	13.3	15.5	16
2001	221	12.6	17.5	14.9
2002	247	15.0	16.5	16.2
2003	247	15.0	16.5	16.2
2004	245	20.2	12.1	26.1
2005	266	22.2	12.0	33.8
2006	321	23.2	13.8	30.8
2007	240	21.7	11.1	45.4
2008	198	21.6	9.2	48.5
2009	246	20.7	11.9	39.8
2010	266	21.6	12.2	39.8
2011	269	25.3	10.6	48.7
2012	282	22.2	12.7	51.8
2013	308	24.2	12.7	52.3
2014	299	25.9	11.5	51.8
2015	303	21.0	14.4	57.1
2016	317	20.0	15.8	54.6
2017	319	29.8	10.6	57.7
2018	339	19.4	17.4	59.9
2019	359	18.9	18.9	56.8
2020	372	20.8	17.8	71
2021	378	20.4	18.5	71.2
2022	375	19.9	18.8	73.1
2023	380	21.0	18.0	74.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio William Smith High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	217	9.2	23.5	n/a
1989	236	11.4	20.7	0
1990	226	11.5	19.6	0
1991	222	11.6	19.1	0
1992	263	14.9	17.6	n/a
1993	241	14.8	16.3	39.8
1994	315	16.7	18.9	29.2
1995	277	15.7	17.7	25.3
1996	277	15.7	17.7	25.3
1997	271	14.8	18.3	19.9
1998	196	16.1	12.2	27.6
1999	183	14.5	12.6	14.8
2000	206	13.3	15.5	16
2001	221	12.6	17.5	14.9
2002	247	15.0	16.5	16.2
2003	247	15.0	16.5	16.2
2004	245	20.2	12.1	26.1
2005	266	22.2	12.0	33.8
2006	321	23.2	13.8	30.8
2007	240	21.7	11.1	45.4
2008	198	21.6	9.2	48.5
2009	246	20.7	11.9	39.8
2010	266	21.6	12.2	39.8
2011	269	25.3	10.6	48.7
2012	282	22.2	12.7	51.8
2013	308	24.2	12.7	52.3
2014	299	25.9	11.5	51.8
2015	303	21.0	14.4	57.1
2016	317	20.0	15.8	54.6
2017	319	29.8	10.6	57.7
2018	339	19.4	17.4	59.9
2019	359	18.9	18.9	56.8
2020	372	20.8	17.8	71
2021	378	20.4	18.5	71.2
2022	375	19.9	18.8	73.1
2023	380	21.0	18.0	74.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for William Smith High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,148
2020	$13,147
2021	$14,422
2022	$16,191
2023	$17,611

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on William Smith High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 304^th of 411 High schools	Ranks 276^th of 349 High schools	5.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	359	380	5.8%
African American	39	26	33.3%
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	7	18	157.1%
Hispanic	237	273	15.2%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	60	48	20%
Two or More Races	10	13	30%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	56.8%	74.5%	17.6%

Schools Near William Smith High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2024)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2024)	SAT Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	CMAS English Language Arts (2024)				CMAS Math (2024)		CMAS Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
William Smith High School	Public	9-12	400 Airport Blvd	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 364-8715	380	21	18.0	74.5%	48 (12.6%)	26 (6.8%)	273 (71.8%)	18 (4.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.4%)	14.4	299^th of 349 public high schools	14.3%		20.3	276^th of 349 public high schools	20.9%	23	52.0	14.0	41.0	16.0	27.0	9.0								8.9	$17,611
Hinkley High School	Public	9-12	1250 Chambers Road	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 340-1500	1,687	89	18.9	83.5%	74 (4.4%)	195 (11.6%)	1,244 (73.7%)	72 (4.3%)	16 (0.9%)	44 (2.6%)	42 (2.5%)	7.1	329^th of 349 public high schools	5.7%		6.7	326^th of 349 public high schools	6.6%	3	29.0	11.0	28.0	14.0	20.0	4.0								4.5	$17,530
Gateway High School	Public	9-12	1300 South Sable Blvd	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 755-7160	1,564	74	21.1	75.6%	169 (10.8%)	268 (17.1%)	943 (60.3%)	68 (4.3%)	11 (0.7%)	28 (1.8%)	77 (4.9%)	7.1	326^th of 349 public high schools	6.6%		6.7	329^th of 349 public high schools	5.7%	3	31.0	8.0	30.0	9.0	22.0	8.0								6.5	$17,103
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora	Public, Charter	9-12	1400 S Abilene St.	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 572-5040	477	19	25.0	53.7%	44 (9.2%)	70 (14.7%)	321 (67.3%)	17 (3.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.6%)	13.4	302^nd of 349 public high schools	13.5%		21.3	273^rd of 349 public high schools	21.8%	29	50.0	18.0	32.0	11.0	32.0	5.0								12.5	$10,129
Rangeview High School	Public	9-12	17599 East Iliff Ave	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 695-6848	2,051	96	21.3	61.4%	377 (18.4%)	398 (19.4%)	998 (48.7%)	93 (4.5%)	10 (0.5%)	13 (0.6%)	162 (7.9%)	32.4	231^st of 349 public high schools	33.8%		32.7	224^th of 349 public high schools	35.8%	7	55.0	28.0	52.0	33.0	42.0	24.0								16.9	$16,223
Montbello Career and Technical High School	Public	9-12	4501 Airport Way	Denver	80239	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-7200	75	8	9.1	68.0%	3 (4.0%)	11 (14.7%)	54 (72.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.3%)	3 (4.0%)								(n/a)															$28,088
Overland High School	Public	9-12	12400 East Jewell Avenue	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 747-3700	2,109	122	17.3	63.8%	376 (17.8%)	584 (27.7%)	886 (42.0%)	98 (4.6%)	9 (0.4%)	13 (0.6%)	143 (6.8%)	26.4	251^st of 349 public high schools	28.1%		22.9	266^th of 349 public high schools	23.8%	15	53.0	22.0	49.0		40.0	22.0								12.0	$14,632
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Early College	Public	6-12	19535 East 46th Avenue	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0420	1,062	57	18.7	79.8%	47 (4.4%)	224 (21.1%)	649 (61.1%)	74 (7.0%)	4 (0.4%)	31 (2.9%)	33 (3.1%)	10.8	313^th of 349 public high schools	10.3%		9.2	318^th of 349 public high schools	8.9%	5	43.0	12.0	33.0	10.0	31.0	10.0	4.8	26.3	28.7	21.4	9.1	6.5	10.1	8.3	$18,008
DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4800 Telluride Street #2	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 524-6300	565	38	14.9	75.9%	17 (3.0%)	131 (23.2%)	338 (59.8%)	57 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	15 (2.7%)	54.1	146^th of 349 public high schools	58.2%		51.1	154^th of 349 public high schools	55.9%	8	56.0	39.0	67.0	50.0	58.0	41.0								17.7	$16,275
Aurora West College Preparatory Academy	Public	6-12	10100 East 13th Ave	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 366-2671	1,033	49	21.0	90.9%	34 (3.3%)	108 (10.5%)	791 (76.6%)	67 (6.5%)	4 (0.4%)	7 (0.7%)	22 (2.1%)	6.3	331^st of 349 public high schools	5.2%		5.7	333^rd of 349 public high schools	4.6%	2	23.0		29.0	7.0	22.0	8.0	2.5	3.9	6.5	4.5		0.6		8.0	$17,446

William Smith High School

William Smith High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Aurora Joint District No. 28:

What do you think?

Rank History for William Smith High School

Rank History for all students at William Smith High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William Smith High School

Rank History for Female students at William Smith High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at William Smith High School

Rank History for Male students at William Smith High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at William Smith High School

Enrollment information for William Smith High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at William Smith High School

Student/Teacher Ratio William Smith High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for William Smith High School

Impact of COVID-19 on William Smith High School

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near William Smith High School