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The STEAD School

Q: Is The STEAD School a good school?

The STEAD School ranks 221 st of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

221^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Colorado High Schools

Better than 35% of Colorado high schools

Summary

The STEAD School is a public high school in Commerce City, Colorado, serving 421 students in grades 9–12 as part of School District 27J. It holds a statewide rank of 220 out of 338 high schools (35th percentile, 2 stars), placing it ahead of most neighboring traditional high schools, including Brighton High School (12th percentile), Prairie View High School (17th), and Riverdale Ridge High School (29th).

Parents will find several clear strengths here. The graduation rate is an impressive 94.0%, well above the district (87.0%) and state (85.6%) averages, and the dropout rate of just 0.6% is one-third the district rate. Reading and writing performance is a standout: 69% of 10th graders scored proficient on PSAT10 reading/writing, the highest among comparison schools in the district and above the state average. Science proficiency on the CMAS 11th-grade exam (27.3%) also beats both the district (17.6%) and state (24.8%) averages. While chronic absenteeism (32.9%) exceeds the state rate of 28.4%, it is notably lower than nearby schools like KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy (44.5%) and Prairie View High School (49.3%).

The main challenge is mathematics, where proficiency trails the state by 15–20 points. For example, only 21% of 10th graders scored proficient in PSAT10 math versus 39% statewide. The school's data also shows varying outcomes across student groups, with female students ranking notably higher than male students, suggesting that targeted support could benefit some populations. Compared to Eagle Ridge Academy, a higher-poverty school about 6 miles away that ranks 44th statewide, The STEAD School matches its science scores but trails slightly in reading and math, illustrating different strengths. With a strong literacy foundation, a relatively low-poverty student body (23.3% free/reduced lunch), and a solid 20.6:1 student-teacher ratio, The STEAD School has good building blocks for future improvement.

421

Students ?

20.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,832

Per pupil spending ?

23.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

18251 Homestead Trail
Commerce City, CO 80022

(303) 288-5536

District: School District 27J

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.1%

Hispanic:

43.2%

Two or more races:

4.0%

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At a glance

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

Worth a look

!Reading and Writing scores 19 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg33%

Colorado avg48%

221^st of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 35%

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5High Schools in the School District 27J

79^th of 114School District 27J among Colorado districts

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)

Female (2026)53rd percentile+18 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile+18 vs school

Male (2026)35th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)33rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing47%-19 vs state

Science27%~ state avg

Mathematics21%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near The STEAD School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2026)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2026)	SAT Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	CMAS English Language Arts (2026)				CMAS Math (2026)				CMAS Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
The STEAD School	Public, Charter	9-12	18251 Homestead Trail	Commerce City	80022	Adams County	School District 27J	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 288-5536	421	20	20.6	23.3%	194 (46.1%)	13 (3.1%)	182 (43.2%)	11 (2.6%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	35.3	221^st of 340 public high schools	35.0%					(n/a)	69.0	21.4	46.9	387.0	55.3	450.0										27.3	$13,832
Prairie View High School	Public	9-12	12909 E 120th Ave	Henderson	80640	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-8800	1,809	87	20.7	54.1%	505 (27.9%)	93 (5.1%)	1,045 (57.8%)	91 (5.0%)	2 (0.1%)	7 (0.4%)	66 (3.6%)	17.4	284^th of 340 public high schools	16.5%		20.2	268^th of 328 public high schools	18.3%	16	54.3	22.7	47.0	17.1	38.0	10.2										12.6	$14,448
Legacy Options High School	Public	9-12	6850 North Argonne Street	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-3100	153	14	10.6	85.0%	5 (3.3%)	33 (21.6%)	100 (65.4%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	6 (3.9%)	7 (4.6%)								(n/a)																690.0	$24,670
Eagle Ridge Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	3551 Southern Street	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 345-4380	593	24	25.2	40.6%	260 (43.8%)	15 (2.5%)	293 (49.4%)	9 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.4%)	41.8	189^th of 340 public high schools	44.4%		42	185^th of 328 public high schools	43.6%	4	54.2	25.4	70.1	38.4	61.0	22.7										25.6	$10,563
Brighton High School	Public	9-12	270 South 8th Avenue	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-4200	1,733	90	19.2	55.7%	627 (36.2%)	20 (1.2%)	1,021 (58.9%)	15 (0.9%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (2.5%)	15.3	297^th of 340 public high schools	12.6%		21.8	260^th of 328 public high schools	20.7%	37	44.4	18.6	45.2	17.3	41.6	13.3										11.9	$15,161
Riverdale Ridge High School	Public	9-12	13380 Yosemite Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-6800	1,784	82	21.7	39.2%	757 (42.4%)	35 (2.0%)	794 (44.5%)	105 (5.9%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (4.9%)	28.1	242^nd of 340 public high schools	28.8%		29.5	234^th of 328 public high schools	28.7%	8	50.4	26.0	54.4	29.1	52.6	17.7										21.3	$13,730
Innovations & Options	Public	6-12	830 Bridge Street	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-2850	235	17	13.7		56 (23.8%)	5 (2.1%)	167 (71.1%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)								(n/a)																715.0	$16,300
27J Online Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	89 N. 6th Avenue	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 655-2527	336	21	16.0		85 (25.3%)	8 (2.4%)	219 (65.2%)	12 (3.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.0%)								(n/a)	41.7	380.0			432.0	381.0			711.0	724.0			713.0	723.0	720.0		$14,637
KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	18250 East 51st Avenue	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 452-2570	555	41	13.6	68.5%	12 (2.2%)	100 (18.0%)	350 (63.1%)	57 (10.3%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.1%)	11 (2.0%)	26.7	250^th of 340 public high schools	26.5%		13.5	291^st of 328 public high schools	11.3%	41	50.0	31.9	46.4	29.8	46.6	29.8										7.0	$17,251
Rocky Mountain Prep RISE	Public, Charter	9-12	18250 East 51st Avenue	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 485-6393	586	46	12.6	77.8%	29 (4.9%)	94 (16.0%)	392 (66.9%)	34 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	19 (3.2%)	13 (2.2%)	20.8	272^nd of 340 public high schools	20.0%		23.9	250^th of 328 public high schools	23.8%	22	51.8	25.5	46.5	20.0	41.7	24.2										8.3	$16,823

Frequently Asked Questions about The STEAD School

Is The STEAD School a good school?

The STEAD School ranks 221^st of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is The STEAD School in?

School District 27J

What is the racial makeup of The STEAD School?

Students at The STEAD School are 46% White, 43% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.

How many students attend The STEAD School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 421 students attended The STEAD School.

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Schools in Commerce City, CO

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

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.