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The Pinnacle Charter School

Q: Is The Pinnacle Charter School a good school?

The Pinnacle Charter School ranks in the bottom 3.2% of Colorado alternative schools.

Q: How many students attend The Pinnacle Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,905 students attended The Pinnacle Charter School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of The Pinnacle Charter School?

Students at The Pinnacle Charter School are 88% Hispanic, 9% White, 2% Asian.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

916^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Alternative Schools

Better than 3% of Colorado alternative schools

Summary

The Pinnacle Charter School is a K-12 alternative charter school in Federal Heights, Colorado, serving approximately 1,905 students and authorized by the State Charter School Institute. It is one of the largest alternative schools in the region, serving a student population where 81% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—far higher than nearby Academy of Charter Schools (33.9%) and Stargate Charter School (10.4%).

What truly sets Pinnacle apart is its ability to keep students enrolled and graduating. The graduation rate is 94.2%—12 points above the district average and nearly 9 points above the state average—while the dropout rate is just 0.6%, far below the state's 1.6%. This five-year trend is remarkable for a school at this poverty level. Sobesky Academy, a school with similar demographics, has just a 38.5% graduation rate. However, academic proficiency is very low: only 16.4% of students meet state standards in English language arts and 6.7% in math, versus 44.7% and 37.3% statewide. Math proficiency is in single digits at nearly every grade level, making it the school's most urgent academic challenge.

Chronic absenteeism affects 31.5% of students—above the state rate of 28.4% but below several comparable peers like Sobesky Academy (76%) and Mapleton Online (39.4%). Test scores have remained flat for four years, suggesting that while Pinnacle succeeds at supporting at-risk students through to graduation, raising academic achievement will require significant work. Parents should weigh Pinnacle's exceptional persistence and graduation support against its low test scores, and plan for additional academic help if their children need support meeting grade-level standards.

1,905

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,948

Per pupil spending ?

81.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

1001 W 84th Ave
Federal Heights, CO 80260

(303) 450-3985

District: State Charter School Institute

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.6%

White:

8.6%

Asian:

1.5%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare The Pinnacle Charter School to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 8th percentile in 2023 → 6th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (14% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (37% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school14%

District avg36%

Colorado avg43%

Elementary school

916^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 12 pts since 2019

From bottom 15% (2019) to bottom 3% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

466^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 18 pts since 2019

From bottom 20% (2019) to bottom 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

320^th of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 9Alternative Schools in the State Charter School Institute

51^st of 114State Charter School Institute among Colorado districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	7.6	916 of 946	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.1	928 of 950	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.1	919 of 943	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	901 of 933	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.8	884 of 921	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.3	690 of 710	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.2	820 of 965	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	18.7	14 of 14	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.5	17 of 17	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.6	43 of 43	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	5.2	690 of 695	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.4	691 of 694	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.3	679 of 684	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.2	638 of 642	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.5	591 of 595	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.6	698 of 758	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	14.2	239 of 251	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.1	230 of 247	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	231 of 242	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.2	194 of 197	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.1	151 of 153	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.6	236 of 270	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	13.9	321 of 337	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	357 of 365	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.2	263 of 265	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.2	195 of 203	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.8	284 of 332	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	6.1	683 of 697	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.3	693 of 700	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.9	678 of 683	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.0	643 of 649	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.7	569 of 594	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.1	692 of 764	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	20.0	505 of 596	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	7.7	466 of 476	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.1	429 of 469	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	413 of 485	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.5	425 of 480	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.8	420 of 448	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.1	352 of 369	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	367 of 458	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	4.8	366 of 368	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.2	336 of 347	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	320 of 350	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	350 of 363	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.2	310 of 326	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.3	250 of 254	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	294 of 352	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	198 of 208	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.8	198 of 218	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	166 of 199	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	173 of 198	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.6	160 of 169	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.6	75 of 83	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.5	162 of 220	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	11.3	226 of 231	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.3	214 of 241	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	211 of 244	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	201 of 241	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	181 of 197	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	166 of 240	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	8.7	360 of 372	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	317 of 352	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	304 of 357	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.8	317 of 356	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.5	316 of 328	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.1	239 of 249	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.5	266 of 343	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	29.1	204 of 283	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	7.7	320 of 340	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.3	308 of 328	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.8	323 of 349	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.0	320 of 349	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.0	204 of 221	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.6	191 of 210	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.9	282 of 411	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.2	256 of 388	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	21.5	196 of 256	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.8	226 of 255	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	25.5	215 of 292	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	44.9	217 of 369	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.2	223 of 349	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.8	211 of 334	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.8	197 of 337	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	61.9	137 of 327	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	53.8	155 of 310	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	5.4	237 of 246	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.7	224 of 247	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.3	242 of 257	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.1	236 of 254	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.9	223 of 257	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.0	214 of 239	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	15.7	178 of 198	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	168 of 187	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.2	180 of 199	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.5	176 of 198	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.0	158 of 205	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.9	127 of 181	29.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	10.9	195 of 209	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.1	173 of 194	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	196 of 211	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.4	176 of 200	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.8	151 of 203	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.1	152 of 188	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	10.7	220 of 244	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.8	223 of 246	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	236 of 256	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.1	231 of 252	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.9	212 of 253	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	176 of 240	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

White (2019)15th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)5th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)5th percentile~ school

Male (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)1st percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)<1st percentile-3 vs school

Middle school

White (2019)28th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)5th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)1st percentile~ school

High school

Hispanic (2026)10th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)10th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)7th percentile~ school

Female (2026)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing34%-31 vs state

English Language Arts16%-28 vs state

Mathematics12%-29 vs state

Math7%-31 vs state

Science6%-27 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, December 6, 2009

High School is below average-average, most probably over-rated...would recommend better options instead of this... Close Quote

Schools Near The Pinnacle Charter School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2026)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2026)	SAT Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	CMAS English Language Arts (2026)							CMAS Math (2026)							CMAS Science (2026)			Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	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 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	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners fully immunized against measles (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
The Pinnacle Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1001 W 84th Ave	Federal Heights	80260	Adams County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 450-3985	1,905	111	17.1	81.0%	164 (8.6%)	19 (1.0%)	1,669 (87.6%)	29 (1.5%)	8 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (0.8%)								(n/a)	38.5	10.8	34.4	11.9	33.1	7.0	13.6	12.0	29.0	13.8	17.0	14.5	16.4	11.0	5.8	10.1	3.9	5.8	5.2	6.7	7.9	8.0	3.1			$13,948
Mapleton Online	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	7350 North Broadway	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(303) 853-1000	152	13	12.1	—	29 (19.1%)	6 (3.9%)	105 (69.1%)	2 (1.3%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.9%)								(n/a)	18.8	343.0											28.9							15.4						$19,668
York International	Public, Magnet, Alternative	K-12	9200 York St	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1600	776	40	19.4	73.5%	60 (7.7%)	5 (0.6%)	663 (85.4%)	37 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.3%)								(n/a)	56.1	31.8	53.7	17.9	38.7	19.4	19.6	38.3	44.0	18.5	43.4	25.0	31.5	17.4	38.3	56.0	24.5	32.1	25.0	32.2	9.1	10.0		95.7%	0%	$15,692
Destinations Career Academy of Colorado	Public, Virtual, Alternative	4-12	8601 Turnpike Dr. Suite 100	Westminster	80031	Adams County	Julesburg School District No. Re1	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 128-6266	453	13	34.2	—	230 (50.8%)	22 (4.9%)	171 (37.7%)	7 (1.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.4%)								(n/a)	453.0	401.0			60.0	20.0				33.3	21.1	31.8	27.8				717.0	719.0	18.2	10.1		12.5				$10,675
Two Roads Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	6980 Pierce Street	Arvada	80003	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 423-3377	345	38	9.1	—	212 (61.4%)	4 (1.2%)	107 (31.0%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.9%)								(n/a)	62.5	29.2	59.3	37.0	63.6	30.3		43.5	722.0	26.1	40.0	39.3	32.3		39.1	710.0	30.4	726.0	32.1	23.8		27.6	30.4	70.7%	14.6%	$9,949
Academy of Charter Schools	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	11800 Lowell Blvd	Westminster	80031	Adams County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 289-8088	1,887	100	18.8	33.9%	1,036 (54.9%)	18 (1.0%)	598 (31.7%)	121 (6.4%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	107 (5.7%)								(n/a)	64.1	36.9	69.5	32.4	64.2	26.6	42.5	46.5	56.3	37.8	51.6	57.3	48.4	35.8	30.6	35.8	22.8	40.5	46.9	34.8	22.4	53.0	54.5	80.3%	3%	$12,874
Westgate Community School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	12500 Washington St	Thornton	80241	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 452-0967	540	27	20.0	38.3%	282 (52.2%)	4 (0.7%)	145 (26.9%)	60 (11.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (8.1%)								(n/a)			527.0	69.6	94.7	572.0	35.1	26.7	30.2	36.0	38.1	35.7	33.6	35.1	17.8	9.1	32.0	27.9	30.2	25.2	22.7	35.7	61.1	97.6%	0%	$13,406
Sobesky Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	2001 Hoyt Street	Lakewood	80215	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-5995	101	15	6.6	78.2%	48 (47.5%)	4 (4.0%)	41 (40.6%)	2 (2.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)								(n/a)																										$52,523
Stargate Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	14530 Washington Street	Thornton	80023	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 450-3936	1,572	81	19.4	10.4%	748 (47.6%)	16 (1.0%)	168 (10.7%)	470 (29.9%)	6 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	156 (9.9%)								(n/a)	96.9	83.1	99.3	94.8	98.4	78.0	67.0	78.6	86.5	79.5	79.1	69.4	77.4	65.6	74.5	84.0	75.4	80.0	77.9	76.6	72.2	80.2	86.1	93.7%	6.3%	$12,768
Prospect Ridge Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2555 Preble Creek Pkwy	Broomfield	80023	Broomfield County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 399-0300	1,478	77	19.1	5.9%	949 (64.2%)	11 (0.7%)	196 (13.3%)	219 (14.8%)	6 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	96 (6.5%)								(n/a)	87.4	66.4	86.8	78.5	89.4	65.4	46.4	58.3	68.3	51.8	48.6	54.1	54.9	50.5	53.6	65.0	62.5	52.3	66.7	58.8	69.2	63.6	50.0	96.6%	3.4%	$12,225

Frequently Asked Questions about The Pinnacle Charter School

What is the racial makeup of The Pinnacle Charter School?

Students at The Pinnacle Charter School are 88% Hispanic, 9% White, 2% Asian.

How many students attend The Pinnacle Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,905 students attended The Pinnacle Charter School.

What district is The Pinnacle Charter School in?

State Charter School Institute

Is The Pinnacle Charter School a good school?

The Pinnacle Charter School ranks in the bottom 3.2% of Colorado alternative schools.

Rate The Pinnacle Charter School!

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance dataOct 6, 2026

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

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.