Abraham Lincoln High School

Abraham Lincoln High School is a large, traditional public high school in southwest Denver serving 965 students in grades 9–12 as part of School District No. 1. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged population—roughly 89% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—and maintains a 13.2-to-1 student-teacher ratio. In the 2025–2026 SchoolDigger ranking, Lincoln placed 326th out of 338 Colorado high schools (4th percentile), a modest improvement over last year's 1st-percentile ranking but still near the bottom of the state.

Academic proficiency is dramatically below district and state averages in every subject. Only 29% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT reading/writing (versus 60% statewide), just 8% are proficient in SAT math (versus 32% statewide), and only 5% meet state science standards. The four-year graduation rate is 70.0%, roughly 15 points below the state average of 85.6%, and it has remained stuck between 63% and 70% for the past five years. Chronic absenteeism is severe: 61.4% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, more than double the state average of 28.4% and up from 53.1% the year before.

There are genuine bright spots. Lincoln's dropout rate fell to 1.6%, exactly matching the state average and well below the district's 3.2%. Reading proficiency has more than doubled in three years, and English Learner students earned the school's strongest subgroup rating. Nearby schools with similar poverty levels show what is achievable: DSST: College View High School and Rocky Mountain Prep SMART serve comparable low-income populations yet graduate 89.8% and 94.6% of students, with significantly higher math and reading scores. Lincoln also outperforms several nearby schools on graduation and dropout rates, including Excel Academy and 5280 High School. The most urgent priorities remain attacking chronic absenteeism, accelerating math and science learning, and converting lower dropout numbers into higher graduation rates.