Pueblo Classical Academy

Pueblo Classical Academy is a small K-12 alternative school in Pueblo West, CO, serving 173 students under the Education Reenvisioned BOCES district. The school's standout metric is its 2024-2025 graduation rate of 85.7%, which matches the state average of 85.6% and towers over its district average of 72.0%. By comparison, nearby 70 Online posted a 67.5% graduation rate, while Chavez/Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy came in at 85.4% — nearly identical to Pueblo Classical Academy.

That strong graduation rate tells only part of the story. The school also reports a dropout rate of 7.9% — nearly five times the state rate of 1.6% — and test scores well below Colorado averages. In math, just 8.6% of students are proficient compared to 37.3% statewide. English language arts proficiency is 27.6% versus 44.7% statewide, and only 23% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT Reading and Writing, a 37-point gap from the state average. Against other local alternative schools, Pueblo Classical Academy lands mid-range: it outperforms Chavez/Huerta in ELA (27.6% vs 16.3%) and math (8.6% vs 4.8%), and is comparable to 70 Online.

The school serves a student body where 49.7% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — notably lower than 70 Online at 68.4% or Chavez/Huerta at 87.3% — and its 15.7 student-teacher ratio is more favorable than either peer school. Yet academic proficiency remains low, suggesting factors beyond poverty may be driving outcomes. The picture is one of contradictions: students who stay appear well-supported enough to graduate at state-average rates, but a significant share leave school mid-year, and college readiness metrics lag considerably. The biggest area of concern is math, followed by overall college readiness. Without chronic absenteeism data, a full picture is hard to assemble, but parents considering this school should weigh its strong graduation outcomes against the low test proficiency and high dropout rate.