Is Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory a good school?

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory ranks 205 th of 349 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,795 students attended Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory.

What is the racial makeup of Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?

Students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory are 51% Hispanic, 18% White, 17% African American, 7% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What schools feed into Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Aurora Frontier K-8 Elementary : Clyde Miller K-8 Elementary : Edna and John W. Mosley P-8 Elementary : Murphy Creek K-8 School Elementary : Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Summary:

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory is a public high school in Aurora, Colorado, serving 1,795 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28, which is ranked 107 out of 116 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Colorado high schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance on standardized tests, such as CMAS, SAT, and PSAT, is generally below the state and district averages, though it performs better than the district in some areas like SAT Reading and Writing. The school's diverse student population includes 50.97% Hispanic, 18.27% White, and 17.38% African American students, and its performance varies significantly across different subgroups. While the school ranks relatively high for African American students, it lags behind for Asian, multi-racial, English Language Learner, and disabled students.

Compared to nearby schools, Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory generally performs better than Gateway High School and Hinkley High School, which are also part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28. However, the school lags behind the performance of nearby charter schools, such as DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School and KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, which have higher rankings and test scores despite serving similar student populations. The high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and the increasing student-teacher ratio may be contributing factors to Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory's overall academic challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

24500 East 6th Avenue
Aurora, CO 80018-1633

(303) 340-0121

District: Aurora Joint District No. 28

SchoolDigger Rank:
205^th of 349 Colorado High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,465

Feeder schools for Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory:

Elementary:	Aurora Frontier K-8
	Clyde Miller K-8
	Edna and John W. Mosley P-8
	Murphy Creek K-8 School
	More...
	Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

Student/teacher ratio: 21.3

Number of students: 1,795

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.0%

White:

18.3%

African American:

17.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory ranks worse than 58.7% of high schools in Colorado. It also ranks first among 6 ranked high schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.96. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory 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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory 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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory is $15,465, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory:

SchoolDigger ranks Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory 205^th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White 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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Rank History for Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

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Rank History for all students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2013	26.39	255^th	349	26.9%
2014	35.21	249^th	369	32.5%
2015	25.02	218^th	292	25.3%
2016	15.46	215^th	255	15.7%
2017	21.88	191^st	256	25.4%
2018	36.71	231^st	388	40.5%
2019	37.32	240^th	411	41.6%
2021	25.80	151^st	210	28.1%
2022	14.68	184^th	221	16.7%
2023	30.56	236^th	349	32.4%
2024	37.96	205^th	349	41.3%

See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	41.61	25^th	48	47.9%
2023	9.37	57^th	62	8.1%
2024	19.25	48^th	61	21.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2022	21.52	27^th	32	15.6%
2023	34.45	25^th	44	43.2%
2024	24.39	26^th	36	27.8%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	21.31	61^st	77	20.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	56.66	66^th	188	64.9%
2022	44.08	110^th	203	45.8%
2023	42.86	112^th	200	44.0%
2024	41.97	119^th	211	43.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	41.20	136^th	239	43.1%
2022	31.41	174^th	257	32.3%
2023	30.52	173^rd	254	31.9%
2024	38.70	152^nd	257	40.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	9.03	73^rd	74	1.4%
2024	16.53	75^th	84	10.7%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	49.03	66^th	118	44.1%
2022	28.78	90^th	108	16.7%
2023	19.23	121^st	135	10.4%
2024	30.71	112^th	140	20.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	40.01	142^nd	240	40.8%
2022	30.30	164^th	253	35.2%
2023	26.20	181^st	252	28.2%
2024	32.79	161^st	256	37.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2022	27.74	35^th	45	22.2%
2023	22.71	36^th	43	16.3%
2024	20.91	36^th	43	16.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	60.30	9^th	29	69.0%
2022	58.12	9^th	34	73.5%
2023	47.59	17^th	36	52.8%
2024	47.46	16^th	38	57.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	44.91	82^nd	181	54.7%
2022	35.28	127^th	205	38.0%
2023	29.61	134^th	198	32.3%
2024	41.83	107^th	199	46.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	61.01	85^th	225	62.2%
2022	44.59	117^th	228	48.7%
2023	47.92	121^st	234	48.3%
2024	60.38	91^st	229	60.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for White 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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	138	73	12	131	3	2	7	366
2013	211	96	21	231	2	3	19	583
2014	269	156	34	372	8	10	42	891
2015	306	157	44	443	15	8	57	1030
2016	319	196	54	532	16	9	65	1191
2017	343	221	57	608	12	9	77	1327
2018	336	236	75	686	13	6	92	1444
2019	324	223	68	672	16	3	83	1389
2020	291	227	74	715	10	2	88	1407
2021	307	237	82	776	13	5	99	1519
2022	319	268	89	851	13	5	109	1654
2023	328	312	100	915	10	6	124	1795

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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	366	17.7	20.5	53
2013	583	37.0	15.7	50.9
2014	891	51.4	17.3	47.6
2015	1030	64.0	16.0	51.2
2016	1191	66.0	18.0	45.3
2017	1327	69.5	19.0	40.8
2018	1444	73.2	19.7	48.1
2019	1389	76.4	18.1	41
2020	1407	75.2	18.7	54.4
2021	1519	77.8	19.5	48.7
2022	1654	85.8	19.2	49.8
2023	1795	84.0	21.3	54

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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	366	17.7	20.5	53
2013	583	37.0	15.7	50.9
2014	891	51.4	17.3	47.6
2015	1030	64.0	16.0	51.2
2016	1191	66.0	18.0	45.3
2017	1327	69.5	19.0	40.8
2018	1444	73.2	19.7	48.1
2019	1389	76.4	18.1	41
2020	1407	75.2	18.7	54.4
2021	1519	77.8	19.5	48.7
2022	1654	85.8	19.2	49.8
2023	1795	84.0	21.3	54

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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,102
2020	$12,809
2021	$13,924
2022	$15,128
2023	$15,465

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

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 240^th of 411 High schools	Ranks 236^th of 349 High schools	9.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1389	1795	29.2%
African American	223	312	39.9%
American Indian	16	10	37.5%
Asian	68	100	47.1%
Hispanic	672	915	36.2%
Pacific Islander	3	6	100%
White	324	328	1.2%
Two or More Races	83	124	49.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	41%	54%	13.1%

Schools Near Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

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
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory	Public	9-12	24500 East 6th Avenue	Aurora	80018	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 340-0121	1,795	84	21.3	54.0%	328 (18.3%)	312 (17.4%)	915 (51.0%)	100 (5.6%)	10 (0.6%)	6 (0.3%)	124 (6.9%)	38	205^th of 349 public high schools	41.3%		30.6	236^th of 349 public high schools	32.4%	31	58.0	31.0	52.0	38.0	45.0	27.0								19.5	$15,465
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
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
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
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
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
Vista Academy	Public	6-12	4800 Telluride Street Bldg. 6	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-7650	234	14	16.3	82.1%	5 (2.1%)	57 (24.4%)	161 (68.8%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.6%)	2.4	347^th of 349 public high schools	0.6%		2.7	345^th of 349 public high schools	1.1%	2	15.0		17.0	10.0	8.0										$19,819
KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	18250 East 51st Avenue	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 452-2570	560	35	15.8	78.0%	13 (2.3%)	73 (13.0%)	411 (73.4%)	42 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.4%)	13 (2.3%)	13.3	303^rd of 349 public high schools	13.2%		11.8	307^th of 349 public high schools	12.0%	4	29.0	19.0	29.0	19.0	30.0	16.0								12.3	$15,472
Rocky Mountain Prep RISE	Public, Charter	9-12	18250 East 51st Avenue	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 485-6393	524	47	11.1	81.5%	28 (5.3%)	72 (13.7%)	385 (73.5%)	22 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	12 (2.3%)	19.9	281^st of 349 public high schools	19.5%		14.4	297^th of 349 public high schools	14.9%	16	50.0	18.0	53.0	20.0	33.0	13.0								7.5	$16,508
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

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Aurora Joint District No. 28:

What do you think?

Rank History for Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for all students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Special Education students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Female students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Disabled students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Male students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Asian students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for African American students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for Hispanic students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rank History for White students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Enrollment information for Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Student/Teacher Ratio Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Per Pupil Expenditures for Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Impact of COVID-19 on Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Frequently Asked Questions about Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

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