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Vanguard Classical School - East

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

836^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Alternative Schools

Better than 12% of Colorado alternative schools

Summary

Vanguard Classical School - East is a public charter school in Aurora, Colorado, serving 728 students in grades K-12. The school is part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28, which is ranked 103 out of 115 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.

Vanguard Classical School - East has some areas of strength, such as higher-than-average graduation rates ranging from 73.4% to 88.9% and lower dropout rates between 1.2% and 2.9% in recent years. However, the school faces challenges, including higher chronic absenteeism rates (27.7% to 40.1%) and lower test scores on the CMAS assessments compared to district and state averages. For example, the school's projected proficiency rates in 2024-2025 for English Language Arts, Math, and Science are 25.4%, 15.2%, and 12.7%, respectively, while the district averages are 24.8%, 18.4%, and 15.8%.

When comparing Vanguard Classical School - East to nearby schools like Lotus School for Excellence, Aurora Central Campus, and Aurora Science & Technical High School, the data shows that Vanguard Classical School - East generally performs better in terms of graduation and dropout rates, but lags behind in areas like chronic absenteeism and overall academic proficiency. The school's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 50.97% to 81.46%, suggests that it serves a predominantly low-income population, which may contribute to the lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages.

690

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,444

Per pupil spending ?

79.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

17101 East Ohio Drive
Aurora, CO 80017-3878

(303) 338-4110

District: Aurora Joint District No. 28

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.6%

African American:

39.0%

White:

11.0%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Vanguard Classical School - East to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 20th percentile in 2022 → 8th in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (21% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2022

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg24%

Colorado avg44%

Elementary school

836^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 18 pts since 2017

From bottom 30% (2017) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

356^th of 469

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 7 pts since 2017

From bottom 31% (2017) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

303^rd of 328

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 27 pts since 2018

From bottom 35% (2018) to bottom 8% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Alternative 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	13.2	836 of 950	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.7	758 of 943	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	784 of 933	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	729 of 921	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.4	634 of 710	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	711 of 965	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.0	648 of 917	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	28.1	649 of 929	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	18 of 21	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.1	8 of 18	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.6	10 of 20	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.1	9 of 18	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.2	9 of 23	60.9%	★★★★☆
2018	47.0	6 of 15	60.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2022	29.9	15 of 19	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	7.0	675 of 694	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.6	644 of 684	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.1	615 of 642	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	485 of 595	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	595 of 758	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	483 of 690	30.0%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	15.3	86 of 91	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	12.9	236 of 247	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	223 of 242	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.5	136 of 153	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.5	192 of 270	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	61.7	52 of 172	69.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	24.4	278 of 337	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	289 of 365	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.1	235 of 265	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.3	80 of 203	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.1	208 of 332	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	150 of 308	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	13.4	609 of 700	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	503 of 683	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.8	518 of 649	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.9	413 of 594	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.1	607 of 764	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	553 of 693	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	20.9	356 of 469	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.4	442 of 485	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.0	412 of 480	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	357 of 448	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.0	403 of 458	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	323 of 418	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.4	291 of 424	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	49.7	13 of 29	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.2	11 of 20	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.7	21 of 33	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	15.5	302 of 347	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.3	336 of 350	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	345 of 363	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.0	230 of 326	29.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	21.6	186 of 218	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.3	150 of 169	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	42.5	124 of 241	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	25.9	255 of 352	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.6	318 of 357	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.8	248 of 356	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	11.2	319 of 343	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	10.1	303 of 328	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	295 of 349	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.4	280 of 349	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	272 of 411	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.7	254 of 388	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	16.6	211 of 257	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	213 of 254	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	217 of 257	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	19.3	165 of 199	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.0	113 of 198	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.6	163 of 205	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	9.6	235 of 256	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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

English Language Learner (2022)21st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)18th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2025)14th percentile~ school

Male (2025)13th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2024)5th percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2025)4th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2025)3rd percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)55th percentile+31 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile+24 vs school

Male (2025)28th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)15th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2025)13th percentile-11 vs school

High school

Female (2024)18th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2024)17th percentile~ school

Male (2024)8th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Reading and Writing46%-19 vs state

English Language Arts25%-19 vs state

Math15%-21 vs state

Science14%-24 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 18, 2017

This school does not make students feel comfortable. They are not empathetic and lack the materials to support many extra curricular activities. The activities include: baseball, girls basketball, track, swimming, and wrestling. They also don't have a gym. Close Quote

Schools Near Vanguard Classical School - East

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2025)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2025)	SAT Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	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 ()	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	Total
Vanguard Classical School - East	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	17101 East Ohio Drive	Aurora	80017	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 338-4110	690	48	14.3	79.7%	76 (11.0%)	269 (39.0%)	301 (43.6%)	16 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	24 (3.5%)								(n/a)	18.0		46.0		37.0		20.6	16.0	21.6	30.7	30.9	30.4	25.4	14.1	9.8	13.5	16.0	15.9	21.4	15.2	14.9	12.7		$14,444
Lotus School for Excellence	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	11001-A East Alameda Avenue	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 360-0052	1,008	66	15.2	91.8%	110 (10.9%)	393 (39.0%)	452 (44.8%)	17 (1.7%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.3%)								(n/a)	45.0	22.0	54.0	13.0	43.0	28.0	18.9	11.8	28.0	23.1	24.2	30.3	23.0	12.2	31.6	17.6	15.2	7.2	11.8	15.4	32.9	10.8		$13,387
Aurora Central Campus	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	11700 East 11th Ave	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 340-1600	2,468	138	17.8	89.3%	186 (7.5%)	332 (13.5%)	1,723 (69.8%)	71 (2.9%)	24 (1.0%)	28 (1.1%)	104 (4.2%)								(n/a)	21.0	9.0	27.0	8.0	22.0	6.0	28.3	21.4	56.3	32.4	35.5	38.6	35.7	28.3	16.7	22.9	22.1	24.2	27.4	23.9	27.1	27.4	3.4	$17,700
Aurora Science & Technical High School	Public, Charter, Alternative	9-11	2540 North Scranton Court	Aurora	80045	Adams County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 524-6397	434	33	13.1	84.1%	37 (8.5%)	36 (8.3%)	336 (77.4%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (2.8%)								(n/a)	41.0	27.0	38.0	14.0	53.0	31.0																	15.1	$17,917
Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning	Public, Alternative	K-12	1700 South Holly Street	Denver	80222	Denver County	Denver 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 759-2076	382	24	16.1	2.4%	297 (77.7%)	5 (1.3%)	51 (13.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.8%)								(n/a)			75.0	42.0			30.0	33.3	82.6	72.5	55.3	57.5	58.0	30.0	50.0	78.3	55.0	38.3	35.0	46.3	65.2	51.2		$12,645
Colorado Summit Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	8 Inverness Drive E #110	Englewood	80112	Arapahoe County	Education Reenvisioned BOCES	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 794-2302	1,245	69	18.1		650 (52.2%)	58 (4.7%)	419 (33.7%)	13 (1.0%)	15 (1.2%)	7 (0.6%)	83 (6.7%)								(n/a)	84.0	24.0	71.0	18.0	52.0	11.0	18.8				44.1	33.3	31.1					8.8	17.9	12.6		34.2	31.8	$9,623
Colorado Connections @ 27J	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	8 Inverness Drive E Suite 240	Englewood	80112	Arapahoe County	School District 27J	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(303) 794-2302	2,042	92	22.2		1,067 (52.3%)	124 (6.1%)	646 (31.6%)	35 (1.7%)	20 (1.0%)	17 (0.8%)	131 (6.4%)								(n/a)	65.0		63.0		63.0	24.0	14.3	16.7	37.9		28.6		27.9		22.2	13.8			19.6		28.6	28.9		$3,742
Ascent Classical Academy of Douglas County	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	10004 Park Meadows Drive	Lone Tree	80124	Douglas County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 531-8775	852	56	15.2		661 (77.6%)	8 (0.9%)	86 (10.1%)	66 (7.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.2%)								(n/a)	79.0	62.0	92.0	33.0	91.0	70.0	42.1	53.9	55.8	57.1	51.8	58.6	53.0	57.1	52.8	49.4	52.1	35.7	44.8	48.7	46.5	60.3	31.8	$10,508
Skyview Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	6161 Business Center Drive	Highlands Ranch	80130	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 471-8439	1,358	84	16.1	15.1%	735 (54.1%)	31 (2.3%)	184 (13.5%)	274 (20.2%)	9 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	122 (9.0%)								(n/a)	89.0	46.0	92.0	68.0	82.0	53.0	55.6	40.8	54.5	49.0	73.5	61.9	55.7	52.5	46.6	39.6	51.9	45.9	59.4	49.4	49.0	58.1	30.0	$11,070
Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy	Public, Alternative	1-12	2250 South Quitman Way	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0200	670	44	15.4	82.1%	63 (9.4%)	24 (3.6%)	539 (80.4%)	19 (2.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.4%)								(n/a)	38.0	22.0	52.0	25.0	33.0	7.0	13.0	10.0	18.5	18.1	18.6	18.6	17.4		10.0		7.2	6.0	15.8	9.8	11.5	12.0	14.3	$17,696

Frequently Asked Questions about Vanguard Classical School - East

What is the racial makeup of Vanguard Classical School - East?

Students at Vanguard Classical School - East are 44% Hispanic, 39% African American, 11% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Vanguard Classical School - East?

In the 2024-25 school year, 690 students attended Vanguard Classical School - East.

Is Vanguard Classical School - East a good school?

Vanguard Classical School - East ranks in the bottom 12.0% of Colorado alternative schools.

What district is Vanguard Classical School - East in?

Aurora Joint District No. 28

Rate Vanguard Classical School - East!

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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.