Vega Collegiate Academy

Summary:

Vega Collegiate Academy is a public charter elementary school serving 553 students in grades K-8 in Aurora, Colorado, which is part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28. The school faces significant challenges, with consistently low academic performance, high rates of economic disadvantage, and a declining statewide ranking.

Vega Collegiate Academy has a unique student population, with a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic (56.6%) and Asian (31.28%) students compared to the surrounding schools and the state average. However, the school consistently underperforms the district and state in CMAS assessments for English Language Arts, Math, and Science, with only 13.4% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 24.2% for the district and 44.1% for the state. Additionally, Vega Collegiate Academy has an extremely high percentage of students (over 95%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

While the nearby schools, such as Montview Math & Health Sciences Elementary School, Crawford Elementary School, and Lansing Elementary Community School, also struggle with low test scores and high percentages of economically disadvantaged students, Vega Collegiate Academy's performance is consistently lower than these nearby schools. The only exception is Aurora Academy Charter School, which is located slightly further away but significantly outperforms Vega Collegiate Academy and the surrounding schools in both academic achievement and student-teacher ratio.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

1345 Macon Street
Aurora, CO 80010-3516

(720) 390-6975

District: Aurora Joint District No. 28

SchoolDigger Rank:
872^nd of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,564

Student/teacher ratio: 20.4

Number of students: 553

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.6%

Asian:

31.3%

African American:

7.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Vega Collegiate Academy ranks worse than 92.5% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 21^st among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.51. (See more...)

Compare Details Vega Collegiate Academy ranks worse than 80.8% of middle schools in Colorado. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.7. (See more...)

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 Vega Collegiate Academy has the largest elementary 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 Vega Collegiate Academy is $15,564. 31 elementary schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Vega Collegiate Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Vega Collegiate Academy 872^nd of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Vega Collegiate Academy in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Vega Collegiate Academy 392^nd of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See Vega Collegiate Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Vega Collegiate Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	22.13	747^th	965	22.6%
2022	3.96	919^th	921	0.2%
2023	7.92	912^th	933	2.3%
2024	10.51	872^nd	943	7.5%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Vega Collegiate Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Vega Collegiate Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2022	9.93	418^th	448	6.7%
2023	10.62	448^th	480	6.7%
2024	17.70	392^nd	485	19.2%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Vega Collegiate Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	7.07	355^th	363	2.2%
2024	19.67	275^th	350	21.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Vega Collegiate Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.98	291^st	356	18.3%
2024	12.49	322^nd	357	9.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Vega Collegiate Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	27.87	143^rd	199	28.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, April 13, 2020

Amazing school!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, April 13, 2020

Best school i ever find for my kids! They are always learning. My kids love vega Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, November 21, 2019

Awesome school! #1 for growth in the state of colorado during opening year and #2 for math growth in the state year #2! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Vega Collegiate Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2018	8	13	16	56	0	0	3	96
2019	12	22	40	120	1	0	7	202
2020	17	25	46	144	1	1	3	237
2021	17	24	68	194	2	2	3	310
2022	16	34	152	298	0	2	4	506
2023	15	39	173	313	0	5	8	553

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 Vega Collegiate Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	96	8.3	11.5	81.3
2019	202	15.0	13.4	93.1
2020	237	14.3	16.5	95.4
2021	310	19.8	15.6	96.5
2022	506	27.7	18.2	95.7
2023	553	27.0	20.4	96.6

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 Vega Collegiate Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	96	8.3	11.5	81.3
2019	202	15.0	13.4	93.1
2020	237	14.3	16.5	95.4
2021	310	19.8	15.6	96.5
2022	506	27.7	18.2	95.7
2023	553	27.0	20.4	96.6

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 Vega Collegiate Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,135
2020	$10,342
2021	$11,722
2022	$14,990
2023	$15,564

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Vega Collegiate Academy

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 747^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 912^th of 933 Elementary schools	20.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Science (Vega Collegiate Academy)	7.5	9.6	2.1%
5th Grade Science (Aurora Joint District No. 28)	15.9	14.6	1.3%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Vega Collegiate Academy)	10	11.5	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Aurora Joint District No. 28)	28.5	24.6	3.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Vega Collegiate Academy)	25	11.5	13.5%
5th Grade Math (Aurora Joint District No. 28)	19.3	17	2.3%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Vega Collegiate Academy)	28.1	14.5	13.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Aurora Joint District No. 28)	25.3	23.5	1.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	43.6	43.4	0.2%
6th Grade Math (Vega Collegiate Academy)	29.3	5.7	23.6%
6th Grade Math (Aurora Joint District No. 28)	15.6	11.6	4%
6th Grade Math (Colorado)	29.5	28.2	1.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Vega Collegiate Academy)	20.6	12.2	8.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Aurora Joint District No. 28)	26.4	23.3	3.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Vega Collegiate Academy)	27.6	8	19.6%
All Grades Math (Aurora Joint District No. 28)	18.2	15.2	3%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	202	553	173.8%
African American	22	39	77.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	40	173	332.5%
Hispanic	120	313	160.8%
Pacific Islander	0	5
White	12	15	25%
Two or More Races	7	8	14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	93.1%	96.6%	3.5%

Schools Near Vega Collegiate Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th 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 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Vega Collegiate Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1345 Macon Street	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 390-6975	553	27	20.4	96.6%	15 (2.7%)	39 (7.1%)	313 (56.6%)	173 (31.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	8 (1.4%)	10.5	872^nd of 943 public elementary schools	7.5%		7.9	912^th of 933 public elementary schools	2.3%	40	7.0			25.5	30.4	16.0	13.4	14.0			14.0	18.0	13.8	11.6	10.0	$15,564
Kenton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1255 Kenton St	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 364-0947	448	35	12.8	92.2%	33 (7.4%)	49 (10.9%)	322 (71.9%)	13 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.7%)	26 (5.8%)	5.7	937^th of 943 public elementary schools	0.6%		6.4	923^rd of 933 public elementary schools	1.1%	14	11.8	6.8	19.0				12.5	5.6	5.4	9.6				6.9	5.6	$20,534
Montview Math & Health Sciences Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2055 Moline St	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 364-8549	286	19	15.0	91.3%	15 (5.2%)	26 (9.1%)	218 (76.2%)	11 (3.8%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.9%)	6	932^nd of 943 public elementary schools	1.2%					(n/a)	14.8	12.3	8.3				11.8	7.0	9.6	5.9				7.5		$20,344
Crawford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Florence St	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 340-3290	435	29	15.0	92.6%	20 (4.6%)	68 (15.6%)	265 (60.9%)	52 (12.0%)	8 (1.8%)	7 (1.6%)	15 (3.4%)	3.5	943^rd of 943 public elementary schools	0.0%		4.3	933^rd of 933 public elementary schools	0.0%	10	7.7	5.1	5.9				6.2							2.5	4.7	$20,488
Lansing Elementary Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	551 Lansing St	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 364-8297	337	26	13.2	87.2%	36 (10.7%)	63 (18.7%)	177 (52.5%)	15 (4.5%)	2 (0.6%)	7 (2.1%)	37 (11.0%)	6.6	925^th of 943 public elementary schools	1.9%		7.8	915^th of 933 public elementary schools	1.9%	10	8.2	15.2	18.2				14.0	5.6	7.4	10.0				7.7	8.3	$22,164
Fulton Academy of Excellence	Public	PK, KG-5	755 Fulton St	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 364-8078	396	22	18.0	90.9%	34 (8.6%)	40 (10.1%)	289 (73.0%)	14 (3.5%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.3%)	5.9	933^rd of 943 public elementary schools	1.1%		4.8	932^nd of 933 public elementary schools	0.1%	1	6.3	12.8	12.8				10.1		9.3					5.7		$20,126
Vaughn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1155 Vaughn St	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 366-8430	395	25	15.9	90.9%	28 (7.1%)	31 (7.8%)	282 (71.4%)	27 (6.8%)	4 (1.0%)	5 (1.3%)	18 (4.6%)	5.8	935^th of 943 public elementary schools	0.8%		7.6	916^th of 933 public elementary schools	1.8%	19	12.3	6.0	18.0				12.1	10.5						8.0	7.1	$19,272
Rocky Mountain Prep: Fletcher	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	10455 East 25th Avenue	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 863-8922	571	41	13.8	79.5%	43 (7.5%)	93 (16.3%)	394 (69.0%)	13 (2.3%)	4 (0.7%)	4 (0.7%)	20 (3.5%)	19.9	742^nd of 943 public elementary schools	21.3%		20.2	728^th of 933 public elementary schools	22.0%	14	29.3	25.0	18.8				24.6	28.4	19.8	23.5				23.9	18.5	$17,149
Isabella Bird Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	2701 N. Lima St.	Denver	80238	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 423-9900	414	25	16.2	32.9%	204 (49.3%)	46 (11.1%)	81 (19.6%)	28 (6.8%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	50 (12.1%)	82.2	148^th of 943 public elementary schools	84.3%		60.6	339^th of 933 public elementary schools	63.7%	191	48.3	56.5	78.3				59.9	57.4	57.4	65.2				59.7	71.7	$17,238
Boston K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	1365 Boston St.	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 364-6878	421	26	16.5	92.6%	18 (4.3%)	49 (11.6%)	300 (71.3%)	26 (6.2%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.5%)	5.8	936^th of 943 public elementary schools	0.7%		7	919^th of 933 public elementary schools	1.5%	17			13.3	7.8	17.1	17.0	11.7	8.3			5.7	8.3		4.5	8.7	$20,695

Frequently Asked Questions about Vega Collegiate Academy

What district is Vega Collegiate Academy in?

Aurora Joint District No. 28

What is the racial makeup of Vega Collegiate Academy?

Students at Vega Collegiate Academy are 57% Hispanic, 31% Asian, 7% African American, 3% White, 1% Two or more races.

Is Vega Collegiate Academy a good school?

Vega Collegiate Academy ranks in the bottom 7.5% of Colorado elementary schools.

How many students attend Vega Collegiate Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 553 students attended Vega Collegiate Academy.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.