Tointon Academy of Pre-Engineering

Tointon Academy of Pre-Engineering is a large PK–8 school in Greeley School District No. 6, serving 1,127 students—nearly double the enrollment of most nearby elementary schools. The school serves a majority low-income population, with 58.9% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and earns a two-star rating with a statewide rank around the 36th–41st percentile. That places it well above the district overall, which ranks in the 16th percentile, though still below the Colorado state average in most subjects.

What makes Tointon stand out is its 5th grade science performance: 49.5% of 5th graders are proficient, far exceeding the district's 19.3% and the state's 36.1%, and it leads all nearby schools—West Ridge Academy is next at 32.6%, while S. Christa McAuliffe STEM Academy trails at 29.3%. English language arts has also improved steadily over three years, rising from 33% to 39% proficiency and narrowing the gap to the state average. However, math remains a persistent challenge: only 24.3% of students are proficient across all grades, compared to 37.3% statewide, and the school trails both West Ridge Academy (35.4%) and S. Christa McAuliffe STEM Academy (44.3%) in this subject.

Math struggles are most pronounced in 6th and 7th grades, where only 15.3% and 19.2% of students are proficient. The school also has the highest student–teacher ratio in the area at 22.1, compared to a range of 15.7–19.6 at nearby schools, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 33.2% is well above both West Ridge Academy (14.9%) and S. Christa McAuliffe STEM Academy (16.3%). On the positive side, the school continues to outperform its district in every subject and grade tested despite these constraints, and its Hispanic students have shown notable growth, jumping from the 35th to the 64th percentile statewide. To move to a higher tier, the most promising levers appear to be reducing absenteeism and building stronger math foundations in the middle grades.