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New rankings! Colorado test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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Prairie Middle School

Q: Is Prairie Middle School a good school?

Prairie Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.7% of Colorado middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Prairie Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,491 students attended Prairie Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Prairie Middle School?

Students at Prairie Middle School are 47% Hispanic, 20% African American, 17% White, 9% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Prairie Middle School attend?

Students who attend Prairie Middle School usually go on to attend Overland High School

Public Grades 6-8

414^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 469 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 12% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

[Prairie Middle School](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/schools/0291000201/school.aspx) is a large grade 6–8 school in Aurora, CO, serving 1,491 students and operating within the highly regarded [Cherry Creek School District No. 5](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/district/02910/search.aspx), which ranks 26th out of 115 districts statewide. However, Prairie itself is one of the lowest-performing schools in this district. In the 2025–2026 ranking, it placed 414th out of 469 Colorado middle schools (12th percentile, 1 star). While this is a slight improvement from the prior year (433rd, 8th percentile, 0 stars), it remains in the bottom tier of the state and is the largest middle school in its immediate comparison group.

Academically, Prairie's CMAS proficiency rates are dramatically lower than both district and state averages. For example, only 21.9% of students are proficient in English Language Arts (compared to 49.5% for the district and 44.7% for the state), and just 12.8% are proficient in math (compared to 44.2% and 37.3%, respectively). The contrast with [Campus Middle School](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/schools/0291000185/school.aspx), a same-district school only about 4 miles away, is striking: Campus ranks in the 93rd percentile with 68.4% ELA and 64.1% math proficiency. Prairie also trails neighbors like [Laredo Middle School](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/schools/0291000197/school.aspx) (37th percentile) and [Horizon Middle School](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/schools/0291001328/school.aspx) (22nd percentile), though it outperforms several high-poverty Aurora schools such as [East Middle School](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/schools/0234000060/school.aspx) and [North Middle School Health Sciences and Technology Campus](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/schools/0234000074/school.aspx). Math is the most urgent academic concern, with only about 1 in 8 students proficient.

Chronic absenteeism is a major red flag, with 49.5% of Prairie students missing substantial school time in 2024–2025—nearly double the district rate of 25.3% and up from 42.1% the year before. The school also serves a predominantly low-income population, with 68.28% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch, far above the rate at Campus (21.59%). Despite these significant challenges, there is a notable bright spot: Prairie's Gifted and Talented students rank in the 95th percentile statewide (7th out of 154 schools), demonstrating that specific programs can achieve exceptional results here. Overall, while Prairie faces serious hurdles related to attendance, poverty, and math proficiency, it is showing slow but real signs of improvement.

1,491

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,587

Per pupil spending ?

68.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12600 East Jewell Avenue
Aurora, CO 80012-5325

(720) 747-3000

District: Cherry Creek School District No. 5

Students who attend Prairie Middle School usually attend:

High:

Overland High School

Feeder schools for Prairie Middle School:

Elementary:	Eastridge Community Elementary School
	Highline Community Elementary School
	Polton Community Elementary School
	Ponderosa Elementary School
	More...
	Village East Community Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

47.3%

African American:

20.5%

White:

16.8%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Prairie Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 4th percentile in 2021 → 12th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 12th (2026) from a 4th-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (17% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (50% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg47%

Colorado avg41%

414^th of 469

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 11Middle Schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5

26^th of 115Cherry Creek School District No. 5 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	14.5	414 of 469	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.5	433 of 469	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	439 of 485	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.8	446 of 480	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	400 of 448	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.1	353 of 369	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	374 of 458	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.5	351 of 418	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.4	329 of 424	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.4	273 of 400	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.8	275 of 436	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	27.0	350 of 461	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.7	343 of 454	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.0	314 of 425	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	31.2	308 of 422	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	28.1	317 of 409	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.6	303 of 377	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.0	295 of 362	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	23.2	295 of 360	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	19.4	297 of 346	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	22.6	275 of 340	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	26.1	257 of 336	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	22.8	32 of 35	8.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.1	27 of 29	6.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	23 of 25	8.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	24 of 25	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.1	18 of 20	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.5	8 of 8	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.3	31 of 33	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	21 of 22	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	5.6	26 of 27	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.7	20 of 25	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	16.7	20 of 20	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	10.7	338 of 365	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.6	331 of 347	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.1	333 of 350	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	347 of 363	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.6	308 of 326	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	240 of 254	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.4	295 of 352	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.6	272 of 315	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	82.1	7 of 154	95.5%	★★★★★
2024	39.2	95 of 126	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.2	94 of 134	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.9	102 of 121	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	13.1	193 of 207	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.1	213 of 218	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.0	196 of 199	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.8	195 of 198	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	155 of 169	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	82 of 83	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	185 of 220	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.5	139 of 165	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	16.3	213 of 230	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.8	228 of 241	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	233 of 244	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.7	237 of 241	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.1	185 of 197	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	112 of 114	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.8	191 of 240	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.6	187 of 222	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	331 of 369	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.5	335 of 352	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.7	334 of 357	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	338 of 356	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	301 of 328	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.2	246 of 249	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.2	292 of 343	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.2	289 of 317	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	23 of 23	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	24 of 25	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.8	29 of 31	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	14 of 14	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	8.8	261 of 275	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.9	264 of 275	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.5	265 of 273	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.3	283 of 286	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.1	260 of 265	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.3	259 of 283	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.9	180 of 199	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)95th percentile+84 vs school

Male (2026)10th percentile~ school

African American (2026)9th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)7th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)7th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)7th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)5th percentile-7 vs school

Asian (2026)4th percentile-8 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)<1st percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)<1st percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts22%-23 vs state

Science17%-19 vs state

Math13%-24 vs state

2.8

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 2, 2019

My son was assaulted by a bully, then my son was suspended. I saw the surveillance video and the bully was the aggressor the entire time. My wife and I are still puzzled by this. We’re contacting the school board. The teachers, counselors and even the “dean” all refused to help. It honestly seems like discrimination. The previous Principal and vice principal were arrested the year before, so I’m wondering if they’re just trying to avoid a lawsuit. Also, the “dean” stormed out of the room threatening to get security on me, solely because I told her she was wrong. The bully completely provoked, threatened and assaulted my son. Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, December 1, 2016

This school is the worst school I have ever been too Close Quote

by a student
Friday, September 23, 2011

I have just recently transferred from my old school to this one for the eigth grade year and I so far love it! The school overall makes you feel welcomed and doesn't give children that "new kid" type feeling. Even the students are quite nice to eachother and students who have been here for the whole middle school year have been trained on what respect looks like. At the first week of school there was a bit of confusion but after teachers hand out schedules, fgive out lockers, and start settling students at were there soppose to be, you end up getting use to it. The school is also very strict about when students approuch to class and were they should be. The princapel is very engaged with the students and connected. She would walk through the hallways during transtion time and say hello to fellow students. This is a great place to send your child!! Close Quote

Schools Near Prairie Middle 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)				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	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	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	Total
Prairie Middle School	Public	6-8	12600 East Jewell Avenue	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 747-3000	1,491	98	15.2	68.3%	250 (16.8%)	305 (20.5%)	705 (47.3%)	86 (5.8%)	8 (0.5%)	6 (0.4%)	129 (8.7%)	14.5	414^th of 469 public middle schools	11.7%		11.5	433^rd of 469 public middle schools	7.7%	19	19.7	22.1	23.8	21.9	10.8	11.0	16.2	12.8	16.6	$17,587
Aurora Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	1009 South Uvalda St	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 341-7450	821	49	16.6	85.9%	49 (6.0%)	137 (16.7%)	536 (65.3%)	41 (5.0%)	6 (0.7%)	6 (0.7%)	46 (5.6%)	10.3	443^rd of 469 public middle schools	5.5%		7	458^th of 469 public middle schools	2.3%	15	16.7	16.2	12.5	15.0	11.4	7.5	18.1	12.5	7.1	$20,227
Mrachek Middle School	Public	6-8	1955 South Telluride St	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 750-2836	811	40	20.2	82.7%	114 (14.1%)	141 (17.4%)	426 (52.5%)	47 (5.8%)	3 (0.4%)	13 (1.6%)	67 (8.3%)	12.4	431^st of 469 public middle schools	8.1%		10	443^rd of 469 public middle schools	5.5%	12	13.8	17.1	19.7	16.8	9.3	9.1	24.2	14.0	11.8	$18,296
Hamilton Middle School	Public	6-8	8600 East Dartmouth Avenue	Denver	80231	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9500	775	49	15.9	67.4%	171 (22.1%)	113 (14.6%)	409 (52.8%)	24 (3.1%)	4 (0.5%)	6 (0.8%)	47 (6.1%)	17.9	386^th of 469 public middle schools	17.7%		18.1	383^rd of 469 public middle schools	18.3%	3	20.8	26.3	21.6	22.7	14.8	17.2	20.6	17.5	19.0	$18,033
Columbia Middle School	Public	6-8	17600 East Columbia Ave	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 690-6570	636	36	17.6	75.6%	144 (22.6%)	106 (16.7%)	305 (48.0%)	28 (4.4%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	45 (7.1%)	21	360^th of 469 public middle schools	23.2%		18.5	382^nd of 469 public middle schools	18.6%	22	23.3	26.4	24.9	24.9	16.8	18.1	29.4	21.3	16.8	$20,098
East Middle School	Public	6-8	1275 Fraser St	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 340-0660	634	24	26.4	92.1%	29 (4.6%)	56 (8.8%)	496 (78.2%)	23 (3.6%)	3 (0.5%)	9 (1.4%)	18 (2.8%)	8	455^th of 469 public middle schools	3.0%		6.6	460^th of 469 public middle schools	1.9%	5	14.6	10.0	10.8	11.8	7.3	8.8	11.2	9.2	6.5	$17,770
Campus Middle School	Public	6-8	4785 South Dayton Street	Greenwood Village	80111	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-2700	1,311	75	17.3	21.6%	722 (55.1%)	53 (4.0%)	184 (14.0%)	245 (18.7%)	4 (0.3%)	5 (0.4%)	98 (7.5%)	91	34^th of 469 public middle schools	92.8%		90.3	36^th of 469 public middle schools	92.3%	2	62.2	73.8	70.4	68.4	57.7	61.2	76.9	64.1	64.5	$17,473
Laredo Middle School	Public	6-8	5000 South Laredo Street	Aurora	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-5000	846	53	15.9	50.4%	334 (39.5%)	124 (14.7%)	246 (29.1%)	54 (6.4%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.6%)	80 (9.5%)	31.8	297^th of 469 public middle schools	36.7%		37.9	260^th of 469 public middle schools	44.6%	37	24.4	35.7	39.4	32.8	15.8	26.0	30.8	23.8	31.0	$18,614
Horizon Middle School	Public	6-8	3981 South Reservoir Road	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-6100	714	49	14.5	59.4%	202 (28.3%)	118 (16.5%)	290 (40.6%)	24 (3.4%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	70 (9.8%)	19.8	367^th of 469 public middle schools	21.7%		20.9	355^th of 469 public middle schools	24.3%	12	17.7	30.7	26.2	24.3			23.4	15.8	18.8	$20,842
North Middle School Health Sciences and Technology Campus	Public	6-8	12095 Montview Blvd	Aurora	80010	Adams County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 364-7411	565	29	19.4	91.2%	30 (5.3%)	71 (12.6%)	401 (71.0%)	27 (4.8%)	4 (0.7%)	17 (3.0%)	15 (2.7%)	5.6	465^th of 469 public middle schools	0.9%		5.6	465^th of 469 public middle schools	0.9%		4.1	7.3	10.5	7.2	3.5	4.3	6.8	4.9	6.8	$20,008

Frequently Asked Questions about Prairie Middle School

How many students attend Prairie Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,491 students attended Prairie Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Prairie Middle School?

Students at Prairie Middle School are 47% Hispanic, 20% African American, 17% White, 9% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

Is Prairie Middle School a good school?

Prairie Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.7% of Colorado middle schools.

What district is Prairie Middle School in?

Cherry Creek School District No. 5

What high school do graduates of Prairie Middle School attend?

Students who attend Prairie Middle School usually go on to attend Overland High School

Rate Prairie Middle School!

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresNewAug 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.