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Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy

Public Grades 6-12

304^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Colorado High Schools

Better than 11% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy is an alternative school in Denver, CO, serving approximately 670 students in grades 1–12 as part of School District No. 1. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 82.1% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch—a rate similar to Lotus School for Excellence (91.8%) and Sobesky Academy (78.2%), but far higher than nearby alternatives like Skyview Academy (15.1%) and STEM School Highlands Ranch (13.5%).

Kunsmiller's most defining feature is a "graduation paradox." The school posts an exceptionally high 95.1% graduation rate—well above the district's 81.9% and state's 85.6%—and a very low 1.4% dropout rate. Yet academic proficiency is dramatically low: just 21.5% of students are proficient in English Language Arts and 9.1% in math, compared to state averages of 44.7% and 37.3%. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 51.7%, nearly double the state rate of 28.4%. This combination—high graduation and low academics—sets Kunsmiller apart from nearby schools like Sobesky Academy, which graduates only 38.5% of students.

Math is the school's biggest academic weakness, with SAT math proficiency at just 10% and science proficiency in single digits. There are some signs of strength: PSAT10 Reading/Writing scores (56%) nearly match the district average, suggesting some older students read well. Kunsmiller also outperforms lower-performing nearby alternatives like Miller Special Education (11.1% graduation) and JeffCo Remote Learning Program (52.4% graduation). Ultimately, Kunsmiller keeps students in school and graduating, but the low test scores suggest many may not be college- or career-ready, especially in math. Reducing chronic absenteeism and strengthening math instruction would help turn a strong graduation record into a genuinely strong academic one.

670

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,521

Per pupil spending ?

82.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2250 South Quitman Way
Denver, CO 80219-5139

(720) 424-0200

District: School District No. 1

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.4%

White:

9.4%

African American:

3.6%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 49th percentile in 2015 → 11th in 2026

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (20% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (52% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg40%

Colorado avg43%

Middle school

440^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

304^th of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 29% (2016) to bottom 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

25^th of 32High Schools in the School District No. 1

69^th of 114School District No. 1 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	8.6	910 of 950	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.4	875 of 943	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.0	856 of 933	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.6	860 of 921	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.2	746 of 965	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.8	743 of 917	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.8	708 of 929	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.3	694 of 914	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.3	759 of 938	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	11.3	884 of 962	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.5	878 of 954	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	18.4	780 of 935	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.4	780 of 935	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	23.1	580 of 758	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.7	555 of 690	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	36.8	124 of 197	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	14.4	149 of 153	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	27.0	214 of 270	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	15.7	663 of 764	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.6	542 of 693	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	12.1	440 of 476	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.6	438 of 469	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.1	444 of 485	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	426 of 480	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.7	396 of 448	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	323 of 369	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.0	303 of 458	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.6	266 of 418	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	23.5	323 of 424	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.9	288 of 400	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.5	361 of 436	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	14.7	403 of 461	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.8	396 of 454	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	11.9	376 of 425	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	11.7	377 of 422	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	11.8	338 of 368	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.9	329 of 347	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	334 of 350	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.4	354 of 363	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.3	298 of 326	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	242 of 352	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	206 of 315	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	19.5	180 of 208	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	205 of 218	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.7	173 of 199	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.7	174 of 198	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	153 of 169	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.5	109 of 220	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.8	84 of 165	49.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	17.3	219 of 241	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	205 of 241	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	169 of 197	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	53.4	96 of 240	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	52 of 222	76.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	12.0	340 of 372	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.4	336 of 352	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	330 of 357	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.9	304 of 356	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.9	290 of 328	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	250 of 343	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.0	227 of 317	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	14.1	304 of 340	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.8	274 of 328	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	294 of 349	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.3	281 of 349	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	180 of 221	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.0	321 of 411	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	306 of 388	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.2	198 of 256	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.8	181 of 255	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	40.5	149 of 292	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	37.9	242 of 369	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	25.7	258 of 349	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.0	286 of 334	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	9.0	225 of 246	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.0	214 of 247	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.4	208 of 257	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	199 of 254	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.5	190 of 257	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.3	180 of 239	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	22.7	156 of 198	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.5	112 of 187	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.9	166 of 199	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	150 of 198	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.6	121 of 205	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.6	123 of 181	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	165 of 194	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.8	139 of 200	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.2	113 of 203	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.0	77 of 188	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	21.4	186 of 244	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.2	185 of 246	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	222 of 256	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.9	218 of 252	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	197 of 253	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	189 of 240	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Hispanic (2023)37th percentile+29 vs school

Female (2019)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2019)13th percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2026)13th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)9th percentile~ school

Female (2026)8th percentile~ school

High school

Male (2026)24th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)21st percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)15th percentile~ school

Female (2026)9th percentile~ school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing36%-30 vs state

English Language Arts22%-23 vs state

Mathematics19%-21 vs state

Science11%-21 vs state

Math9%-28 vs state

2.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, January 14, 2022

Principal is L A Z Y puts safety of students at risk Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, November 30, 2012

Too much BULLYING goes on at this school. Poor special ed programs also I know this is an art school but they focus to much on art and little on academics. Close Quote

by a student on FaceBook
Saturday, November 26, 2011

its a cool school because its creative and you learn alot of stuff Close Quote

Schools Near Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy

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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
Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy	Public	6-12	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%)	14.1	304^th of 340 public high schools	10.6%		17.8	274^th of 328 public high schools	16.5%	30	56.5	21.7	35.8	19.4	28.8	9.6	18.5	27.7	16.9	21.5	6.2	9.6	11.3	9.1	11.3	9.5	$18,521
Respect Academy	Public	9-12	2285 South Federal Blvd	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-5228	99	7	13.4	79.8%	2 (2.0%)	1 (1.0%)	92 (92.9%)	1 (1.0%)	3 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$24,071
Abraham Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	2285 South Federal Boulevard	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-5000	965	73	13.2	88.9%	27 (2.8%)	55 (5.7%)	839 (86.9%)	25 (2.6%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.5%)	11 (1.1%)	5.8	328^th of 340 public high schools	3.5%		4.3	325^th of 328 public high schools	0.9%	3	22.8	9.4	27.6	13.2	28.6	7.5										5.0	$21,669
Summit at Castro	Public	6-12	845 S. Lowell Blvd	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-2400	236	19	12.1	91.9%	6 (2.5%)	4 (1.7%)	224 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.1	309^th of 340 public high schools	9.1%		9.7	306^th of 328 public high schools	6.7%	3			30.8	23.1	412.0	410.0	717.0	716.0	703.0	10.9	716.0	19.0	704.0	14.1	11.1	11.8	$23,091
Excel Academy	Public	9-12	1825 S. Federal Blvd.	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-2250	227	12	18.3	85.5%	9 (4.0%)	6 (2.6%)	208 (91.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)								(n/a)			17.6	332.0													$20,858
DSST: College View High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3111 West Dartmouth Avenue	Denver	80236	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 524-6320	533	47	11.2	85.7%	13 (2.4%)	17 (3.2%)	466 (87.4%)	29 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	32.6	225^th of 340 public high schools	33.8%		39.8	197^th of 328 public high schools	39.9%	28	50.4	33.3	51.9	40.3	45.9	30.3										10.3	$12,164
Rocky Mountain Prep SMART	Public, Charter	9-12	3201 W. Arizona Ave	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 962-9880	604	58	10.3	92.2%	12 (2.0%)	6 (1.0%)	567 (93.9%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	33.6	224^th of 340 public high schools	34.1%		28.7	237^th of 328 public high schools	27.7%	13	50.3	48.4	42.5	29.9	44.9	38.1										13.7	$17,257
John F Kennedy High School	Public	9-12	2855 South Lamar Street	Denver	80227	Jefferson County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-4300	681	49	13.8	78.9%	73 (10.7%)	23 (3.4%)	518 (76.1%)	49 (7.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.2%)	22	267^th of 340 public high schools	21.5%		11.1	300^th of 328 public high schools	8.5%	33	59.4	20.8	40.0	11.0	43.8	16.9										27.3	$21,343
Brady Exploration School	Public	9-12	5220 W. Ohio Avenue	Lakewood	80226	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-6722	294	18	16.4	67.3%	81 (27.6%)	13 (4.4%)	185 (62.9%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)								(n/a)					22.7	362.0										711.0	$20,272
Sheridan High School	Public	9-12	3201 West Oxford Avenue	Englewood	80110	Arapahoe County	Sheridan School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 833-6987	321	23	13.9	86.0%	29 (9.0%)	10 (3.1%)	271 (84.4%)	5 (1.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)								(n/a)			22.0	345.0	407.0	379.0										713.0	$25,723

Frequently Asked Questions about Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy

What is the racial makeup of Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy?

Students at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy are 80% Hispanic, 9% White, 4% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 670 students attended Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy.

What district is Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy in?

School District No. 1

Is Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy a good school?

Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy ranks in the bottom 10.6% of Colorado high schools.

Rate Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy!

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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.