William Smith High School

William Smith High School is a small public high school in Aurora, Colorado serving roughly 410 students in grades 9–12 within the Aurora Joint District No. 28, a district that ranks in the bottom 10 percent of Colorado districts. Where this school truly stands out is in student engagement: chronic absenteeism is just 16.6 percent, compared to 38.9 percent districtwide and over 50 percent at nearby Hinkley High School, Gateway High School, and Aurora West College Preparatory Academy. Graduation rates have hovered near 97 percent in recent years—far above the district's low-to-mid 70s—and dropout rates are near zero, which is remarkable for a school where 81 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, William Smith's strength is early high school literacy. Ninth graders scored 57 percent proficient on PSAT Reading/Writing and tenth graders 61 percent, both well above district averages and the highest among Aurora Joint District high schools, including Rangeview High School. However, math and science are clear weaknesses: only 11 percent of 11th graders scored proficient on SAT Math and just 6.7 percent on CMAS Science, both below district and state averages. Reading proficiency also fades by 11th grade, dropping to 32 percent on SAT Reading.

Despite the low overall ranking—269th out of 338 Colorado high schools—the school serves some student groups better than the ranking suggests. Low-income students ranked at the 49th percentile statewide in 2025–2026, essentially middle-of-the-pack, while Hispanic and male students showed meaningful improvement over the prior year. The school's overall rank has also been inching upward, from the 14th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 20th percentile in 2025–2026. In short, William Smith is a school that keeps students in class, moves them to graduation, and builds strong early literacy—but struggles to deliver competitive math and science outcomes.