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Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

Q: Is Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory a good school?

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory ranks 594 th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

594^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 37% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory is a public elementary and middle school in Aurora, Colorado, serving 937 students from preschool through 8th grade. The school is part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28, which is ranked 103 out of 115 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Colorado elementary schools, currently at 594 out of 950 schools with a 2-star rating. The school struggles across various student subgroups, with rankings for female, male, African American, Hispanic, and white students all in the bottom half of the state. It also has higher-than-average dropout rates, ranging from 1.9% to 2.9%, and chronic absenteeism rates, from 27.0% to 40.1%, which are significantly above the state average. Academically, the school's performance on CMAS tests is consistently below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

When compared to nearby schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28, such as Aurora Frontier K-8 and Murphy Creek K-8 School, Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory generally performs worse across key metrics. The school's high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranging from 39.23% to 55.82% in recent years, may be a significant factor contributing to its academic challenges. Despite being in operation for over a decade, Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory has not shown significant improvement in its statewide ranking or academic performance over time.

960

Students ?

20.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,792

Per pupil spending ?

54.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2015 → 37th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 29 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Aurora Joint District No. 28

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (31% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 16 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg21%

Colorado avg40%

Elementary school

594^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 30 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

258^th of 469

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 32 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 36Elementary Schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28

103^rd of 115Aurora 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	32.4	594 of 950	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.5	630 of 943	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.4	705 of 933	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.9	667 of 921	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.5	502 of 710	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.7	658 of 965	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.2	657 of 917	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.7	660 of 929	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.9	783 of 914	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	11.9	866 of 938	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	11.9	875 of 962	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	12.4	847 of 954	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	14 of 21	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	10 of 18	44.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.8	16 of 20	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.0	10 of 18	44.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	25.2	36 of 43	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	26.7	495 of 694	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.7	508 of 684	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	505 of 642	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.5	472 of 595	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.4	256 of 351	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.0	570 of 758	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	553 of 690	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	157 of 247	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.3	191 of 242	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.5	169 of 197	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.3	137 of 153	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.4	22 of 30	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	213 of 270	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	150 of 172	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	37.9	210 of 337	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.8	285 of 365	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.4	182 of 265	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.6	94 of 203	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	24.1	285 of 332	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.3	277 of 308	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	490 of 700	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.7	558 of 683	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	577 of 649	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.0	497 of 594	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.8	331 of 352	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	555 of 764	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	568 of 693	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	37.8	362 of 551	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.6	401 of 539	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.6	475 of 525	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.3	361 of 454	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.6	231 of 288	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	396 of 596	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.5	257 of 337	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	38.3	258 of 469	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.9	278 of 485	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.3	255 of 480	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.5	221 of 448	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.8	229 of 369	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.7	319 of 458	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.4	312 of 418	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.8	339 of 424	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.7	328 of 400	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.8	381 of 436	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	13.4	409 of 461	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	16.5	391 of 454	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	52.1	12 of 29	58.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	43.5	172 of 347	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.5	223 of 350	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.4	174 of 363	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.6	184 of 326	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.0	270 of 352	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.7	252 of 315	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	21.3	118 of 132	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	58.3	64 of 125	48.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	33.6	140 of 218	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.5	111 of 199	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.8	108 of 198	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.0	97 of 169	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.6	160 of 220	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.6	118 of 165	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	105 of 241	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.2	124 of 244	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.9	82 of 241	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	53 of 197	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	26.4	187 of 240	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.3	166 of 222	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	24.4	261 of 352	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.7	237 of 357	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	234 of 356	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.8	175 of 328	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.7	228 of 343	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.5	250 of 317	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	39.0	166 of 275	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.4	191 of 273	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.1	146 of 286	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.1	113 of 265	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.3	106 of 203	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.8	183 of 283	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.4	143 of 199	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)38th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)36th percentile~ school

White (2025)34th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2025)33rd percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)30th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)29th percentile-9 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)16th percentile-16 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)59th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)50th percentile+5 vs school

White (2025)40th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)36th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2025)26th percentile-19 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)11th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-8 vs state

Math28%-8 vs state

Science22%-16 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, April 24, 2017

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

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

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CMAS English Language Arts (2025)							CMAS Math (2025)							CMAS Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory	Public	PK, KG-8	24551 East 1st Avenue	Aurora	80018	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 364-3757	960	48	20.0	54.9%	221 (23.0%)	175 (18.2%)	404 (42.1%)	66 (6.9%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	87 (9.1%)	32.4	594^th of 950 public elementary schools	37.5%		28.5	630^th of 943 public elementary schools	33.2%	36	13.5	44.2	36.8	43.3	43.4	35.9	36.5	21.2	36.2	23.9	33.0	29.5	23.5	27.9	22.2	21.2	$16,792
Harmony Ridge P-8	Public	PK, KG-8	52 North Robertsdale Street	Aurora	80018	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 326-1013	894	45	19.8	61.7%	147 (16.4%)	143 (16.0%)	449 (50.2%)	52 (5.8%)	5 (0.6%)	13 (1.5%)	85 (9.5%)	33.8	580^th of 950 public elementary schools	38.9%		25.9	664^th of 943 public elementary schools	29.6%	84	34.1	40.9	41.2	32.9	40.0	34.4	37.3	35.2	31.0	20.0	24.7	45.2	19.0	29.3	30.2	21.0	$18,065
Murphy Creek K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	1400 S Old Tom Morris Road	Aurora	80018	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 366-0579	855	51	16.9	59.9%	235 (27.5%)	194 (22.7%)	275 (32.2%)	59 (6.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (10.4%)	68.2	287^th of 950 public elementary schools	69.8%		62.8	337^th of 943 public elementary schools	64.3%	50	45.9	57.7	49.3	53.8	77.0	64.9	57.9	50.0	58.2	46.4	40.7	68.0	57.6	53.3	56.5	49.1	$17,379
Sky Ranch Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	849 N Carrie Street	Aurora	80137	Arapahoe County	Bennett School District No. 29J	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 644-3234	495	24	20.6	42.4%	176 (35.6%)	94 (19.0%)	145 (29.3%)	15 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (12.9%)	20	741^st of 950 public elementary schools	22.0%		25.9	663^rd of 943 public elementary schools	29.7%	78	26.4	25.9	39.1	25.0	41.7	32.0	30.4	24.5	18.5	23.9	8.3	20.8	11.5	18.3	21.7	26.9	$00
Clyde Miller K-8	Public	PK, KG-8	1701 Espana St	Aurora	80011	Adams County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 364-7918	466	22	21.1	88.2%	39 (8.4%)	46 (9.9%)	323 (69.3%)	19 (4.1%)	7 (1.5%)	8 (1.7%)	24 (5.2%)	16.8	780^th of 950 public elementary schools	17.9%		17.4	777^th of 943 public elementary schools	17.6%	3	22.0	22.9	32.7	21.6	27.3	36.1	27.5	27.5	16.3	13.2	15.1	13.0	14.8	16.6		9.8	$19,294
Aurora Highlands K-8	Public	PK, KG-8	24405 E 42nd Ave	Aurora	80019	Adams County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 326-3125	472	31	15.2	61.0%	77 (16.3%)	138 (29.2%)	181 (38.3%)	31 (6.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.3%)	22	711^th of 950 public elementary schools	25.2%		18.4	764^th of 943 public elementary schools	19.0%	53	20.4	26.5	47.2	33.3	45.2	27.8	32.5	17.0	14.0	33.3	12.3	26.2	13.9	18.6	25.7	11.4	$22,382
Side Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	19191 East Iliff Pl	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 755-1785	512	27	18.9	71.9%	101 (19.7%)	89 (17.4%)	207 (40.4%)	29 (5.7%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.8%)	75 (14.6%)	12.8	846^th of 950 public elementary schools	10.9%		12.5	843^rd of 943 public elementary schools	10.6%	3	19.2	15.2	25.7				19.8	19.4	12.8	20.0				17.3	17.4		$18,080
Green Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Jericho St	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-6710	714	48	14.8	81.8%	53 (7.4%)	178 (24.9%)	395 (55.3%)	55 (7.7%)	3 (0.4%)	11 (1.5%)	19 (2.7%)	17.8	770^th of 950 public elementary schools	18.9%		15.7	796^th of 943 public elementary schools	15.6%	26	25.6	16.4	31.0				25.4	33.0	12.9	17.0				21.1	17.3		$18,385
Edna and John W. Mosley P-8	Public	PK, KG-8	55 North Salida Way	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 366-2807	994	57	17.2	82.0%	146 (14.7%)	132 (13.3%)	584 (58.8%)	33 (3.3%)	6 (0.6%)	19 (1.9%)	74 (7.4%)	14.7	811^th of 950 public elementary schools	14.6%		13.9	823^rd of 943 public elementary schools	12.7%	12	21.5	21.8	26.2	23.3	41.6	23.9	26.4	19.8	10.9	16.0	14.6	22.2	9.6	15.6	22.3	18.9	$17,571
Arkansas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	17301 East Arkansas Ave	Aurora	80017	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 755-0323	432	33	13.0	75.0%	79 (18.3%)	79 (18.3%)	183 (42.4%)	27 (6.3%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (2.8%)	50 (11.6%)	23	695^th of 950 public elementary schools	26.8%		19.7	745^th of 943 public elementary schools	21.0%	50	24.5	19.7	37.9				26.9	34.0	16.9	24.1				24.2	29.1		$19,269

Frequently Asked Questions about Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

How many students attend Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory?

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

What is the racial makeup of Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory?

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

What district is Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory in?

Aurora Joint District No. 28

What schools do graduates of Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory attend?

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

High : Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Is Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory a good school?

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory ranks 594^th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory!

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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.