Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

Public Grades PK, KG-8
684th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools
Better than 28% of Colorado elementary schools
Summary

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory is a large public PK-8 school in Aurora, Colorado, serving 960 students in the Aurora Joint District No. 28. In 2025–2026, the school ranked 683rd out of 943 Colorado schools (28th percentile) with a 1-star rating, a step back from the prior year's 594th-place finish. While the district is among the lowest-performing in the state, Vista Peak consistently beats district averages in English Language Arts, math, and science, though it still trails statewide proficiency rates in nearly every grade and subject.

The school's most encouraging signal is upper-grade reading. In 7th grade ELA, 49.1% of students are proficient versus the state's 46.6%, and in 8th grade, 46.7% versus 42.2%—essentially matching or slightly exceeding Colorado averages. Early literacy, however, is a major concern: only 17.7% of 3rd graders are proficient in ELA, well below the state's 40.8%. Math is the most consistent academic weakness, with every grade level falling roughly 7 to 22 points behind the state, and an all-grades proficiency rate of just 26.5%.

Compared to nearby schools, Vista Peak sits in the middle of the pack. It outranks several Aurora neighbors like Edna and John W. Mosley P-8 and Side Creek Elementary School, but lags behind Harmony Ridge P-8 and especially Murphy Creek K-8, which serves a similar economic population yet posts significantly higher scores in both ELA and math. One genuine bright spot is attendance: Vista Peak's chronic absenteeism rate of 22.2% is far better than the district's 38.9% and the state's 28.4%. For parents, the takeaway is a school that does well at keeping kids engaged and performs strongly in middle-school reading, but needs meaningful improvement in early literacy and math.

960
Students ?
20.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$16,860
Per pupil spending ?
54.9%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
All students in Colorado receive free school meals.
87.4%
Kindergartners fully immunized against measles (MMR) (2025-26)
Exemptions: 3.2% (MMR)
 24551 East 1st Avenue
       Aurora, CO  80018-1633

(303) 364-3757

District: Aurora Joint District No. 28


Students who attend Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory usually attend:

High:    Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
42.1%
White:
23.0%
African American:
18.2%
more
 See top rated Colorado elementary schools

 Compare Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 14th percentile in 2016 → 28th in 2026
Strengths
✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2016
✓Among the top-ranked schools in Aurora Joint District No. 28
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Colorado average (30% vs 40% meeting standards)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Math scores 11 pts below the Colorado average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school30%
District avg22%
Colorado avg40%
Elementary school
684th of 946
Colorado public elementary schools ?
Bottom 28%▲ up 13 pts since 2016
From bottom 14% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
241st of 476
Colorado public middle schools ?
Bottom 49%▲ up 31 pts since 2016
From bottom 18% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
8th of 36Elementary Schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28
105th of 114Aurora Joint District No. 28 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202624.6684 of 94627.7%★☆☆☆☆
202532.4594 of 95037.5%★★☆☆☆
202428.5630 of 94333.2%★★☆☆☆
202322.4705 of 93324.4%★☆☆☆☆
202224.9667 of 92127.6%★☆☆☆☆
202132.5502 of 71029.3%★☆☆☆☆
201929.7658 of 96531.8%★★☆☆☆
201826.2657 of 91728.4%★☆☆☆☆
201726.7660 of 92929.0%★☆☆☆☆
201615.9783 of 91414.3%★☆☆☆☆
201511.9866 of 9387.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201411.9875 of 9629.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201312.4847 of 95411.2%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202643.410 of 2458.3%★★★☆☆
202535.014 of 2133.3%★★☆☆☆
202434.710 of 1844.4%★★★☆☆
202329.816 of 2020.0%★☆☆☆☆
202241.010 of 1844.4%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
201925.236 of 4316.3%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202615.7604 of 69513.1%★☆☆☆☆
202526.7495 of 69428.7%★☆☆☆☆
202425.7508 of 68425.7%★☆☆☆☆
202321.0505 of 64221.3%★☆☆☆☆
202221.5472 of 59520.7%★☆☆☆☆
202140.4256 of 35127.1%★☆☆☆☆
201924.0570 of 75824.8%★☆☆☆☆
201822.1553 of 69019.9%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202635.4164 of 25134.7%★★☆☆☆
202534.8157 of 24736.4%★★☆☆☆
202425.3191 of 24221.1%★☆☆☆☆
202321.5169 of 19714.2%★☆☆☆☆
202218.3137 of 15310.5%★☆☆☆☆
202137.422 of 3026.7%★☆☆☆☆
201927.2213 of 27021.1%★☆☆☆☆
201821.1150 of 17212.8%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202629.5251 of 32222.0%★☆☆☆☆
202537.9210 of 33737.7%★★☆☆☆
202426.8285 of 36521.9%★☆☆☆☆
202335.4182 of 26531.3%★★☆☆☆
202246.694 of 20353.7%★★★☆☆
201924.1285 of 33214.2%★☆☆☆☆
201819.3277 of 30810.1%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202622.2539 of 69722.7%★☆☆☆☆
202526.0490 of 70030.0%★★☆☆☆
202417.7558 of 68318.3%★☆☆☆☆
202313.3577 of 64911.1%★☆☆☆☆
202217.0497 of 59416.3%★☆☆☆☆
202114.8331 of 3526.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201926.1555 of 76427.4%★☆☆☆☆
201819.8568 of 69318.0%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202618.5480 of 54712.2%★☆☆☆☆
202537.8362 of 55134.3%★★☆☆☆
202430.6401 of 53925.6%★☆☆☆☆
202316.6475 of 5259.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202228.3361 of 45420.5%★☆☆☆☆
202132.6231 of 28819.8%★☆☆☆☆
201935.5396 of 59633.6%★★☆☆☆
201827.5257 of 33723.7%★☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202640.7241 of 47649.4%★★☆☆☆
202538.3258 of 46945.0%★★☆☆☆
202434.9278 of 48542.7%★★☆☆☆
202340.3255 of 48046.9%★★☆☆☆
202245.5221 of 44850.7%★★★☆☆
202135.8229 of 36937.9%★★☆☆☆
201927.7319 of 45830.3%★★☆☆☆
201823.4312 of 41825.4%★☆☆☆☆
201719.8339 of 42420.0%★☆☆☆☆
201620.7328 of 40018.0%★☆☆☆☆
201516.8381 of 43612.6%★☆☆☆☆
201413.4409 of 46111.3%★☆☆☆☆
201316.5391 of 45413.9%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202649.612 of 3565.7%★★★★☆
202552.112 of 2958.6%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202634.9218 of 36840.8%★★☆☆☆
202543.5172 of 34750.4%★★★☆☆
202431.5223 of 35036.3%★★☆☆☆
202346.4174 of 36352.1%★★★☆☆
202239.6184 of 32643.6%★★☆☆☆
201923.0270 of 35223.3%★☆☆☆☆
201820.7252 of 31520.0%★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202629.8124 of 15419.5%★☆☆☆☆
202521.3118 of 13210.6%★☆☆☆☆
202358.364 of 12548.8%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202641.0110 of 20847.1%★★☆☆☆
202533.6140 of 21835.8%★★☆☆☆
202438.5111 of 19944.2%★★☆☆☆
202341.8108 of 19845.5%★★☆☆☆
202238.097 of 16942.6%★★☆☆☆
201929.6160 of 22027.3%★☆☆☆☆
201828.6118 of 16528.5%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202649.692 of 23160.2%★★★☆☆
202547.2105 of 24156.4%★★★☆☆
202443.2124 of 24449.2%★★★☆☆
202353.982 of 24166.0%★★★☆☆
202258.953 of 19773.1%★★★★☆
201926.4187 of 24022.1%★☆☆☆☆
201828.3166 of 22225.2%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202637.2201 of 37246.0%★★☆☆☆
202524.4261 of 35225.9%★☆☆☆☆
202429.7237 of 35733.6%★★☆☆☆
202327.9234 of 35634.3%★★☆☆☆
202240.8175 of 32846.6%★★☆☆☆
201928.7228 of 34333.5%★★☆☆☆
201820.5250 of 31721.1%★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202618.524 of 3020.0%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202640.1166 of 27840.3%★★☆☆☆
202539.0166 of 27539.6%★★☆☆☆
202430.4191 of 27330.0%★★☆☆☆
202347.1146 of 28649.0%★★☆☆☆
202254.1113 of 26557.4%★★★☆☆
202145.3106 of 20347.8%★★☆☆☆
201936.8183 of 28335.3%★★☆☆☆
201828.4143 of 19928.1%★☆☆☆☆
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
African American (2026)58th percentile+31 vs school
Hispanic (2026)35th percentile+7 vs school
Male (2026)23rd percentile-5 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)22nd percentile-6 vs school
English Language Learner (2019)16th percentile-16 vs school
Female (2026)13th percentile-15 vs school
White (2026)12th percentile-15 vs school
Middle school
African American (2026)66th percentile+16 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)60th percentile+11 vs school
Hispanic (2026)47th percentile~ school
Male (2026)46th percentile-3 vs school
Female (2026)41st percentile-9 vs school
White (2026)40th percentile-9 vs school
Multi-racial (2026)20th percentile-29 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2026)19th percentile-30 vs school
By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts34%-10 vs state
Math26%-11 vs state
Science26%-10 vs state

3.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
5★1
4★0
3★0
2★0
1★1
Rate Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory
Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.
Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.
Tap a star to rate
What people are saying
by a parent
Monday, April 24, 2017

Open Quote Smart kids fall though the cracks. There are plenty of diversified tactics visibly in play for kids that are struggling, but when my kid finishes her work in the first 5 minutes of the day, she is instructed to entertain herself for the rest of the day. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, September 26, 2014

Open Quote Incredible school! We moved from a wealthy area in Littleton 2 years ago. The schools in that area all had a student to teacher ratio of 1 to 30+ students

Vista Peak Prep and Exploratory have blown my expectations out of the water!!!

My children are being lead with strong moral standards from the Faculty. The drop-out rate is lower then most of the wealthiest areas in the state..

My Senior is more prepared for the world then I could have ever imagined!! He received a full ride academic scholarship to a prestigious University, while being a full time athlete in Highschool.

** My children tell me that they hardly ever hear or see bullying at school. The staff truly allow the children to grow and learn in a positive environment. 5 stars!!! Close Quote





Schools Near Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private






Frequently Asked Questions about Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

Students who attend Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory usually go on to attend:

High : Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

In the 2024-25 school year, 960 students attended Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory.

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory ranks 684th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students at Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory are 42% Hispanic, 23% White, 18% African American, 9% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

Rate Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory!


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.

Diagnostics