Vega Collegiate Academy

Vega Collegiate Academy is a K-8 school in Aurora, CO, serving 583 students in the Aurora Joint District No. 28, a district ranked in the bottom 8% of Colorado districts, with nearly all students (98%) qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school currently ranks in the bottom 6% of Colorado elementary schools (0 stars), and its academic performance sits well below district and state averages. In ELA, just 17.5% of students are proficient versus 26.1% districtwide and 44.7% statewide; in math, 15.2% are proficient versus 20.5% and 37.3%, respectively. Science proficiency is also low: 11.3% in 5th grade and 7.9% in 8th grade.

One of the most striking red flags is chronic absenteeism: 52.7% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, nearly double the state average and far above nearby schools. For comparison, Rocky Mountain Prep: Fletcher has a 14.7% absenteeism rate, Aurora Academy Charter School sits at 15.7%, and Isabella Bird Community School at 19.4%. Vega also has a notably high student-teacher ratio of 22.4, compared with a range of 12.6 to 17.8 at every other nearby school, suggesting larger class sizes and less individualized attention.

Despite these challenges, Vega is not the weakest school in its immediate area. Its math proficiency exceeds that of several traditional neighborhood schools, including Fulton Academy of Excellence (7.1%), Vaughn Elementary School (6.2%), and Boston K-8 School (4.0%). There are also small pockets of strength, like 7th grade ELA (30.9%, nearly matching the district average) and 6th grade math (17.7%). Yet 3rd grade ELA proficiency is only 7%, and progress has largely stalled over the past two years. The presence of nearby high-poverty schools with much better outcomes — such as Rocky Mountain Prep: Fletcher, serving 89% low-income students — suggests that improving attendance and reducing class sizes could be meaningful levers for change, but for now Vega remains a school in serious need of support.