Hidden Lake Secondary

Hidden Lake Secondary is a small combined middle and high school in Westminster, Colorado, serving 340 students in grades 6–12 as part of Westminster Public Schools, a district that ranks in the bottom 20% of Colorado districts. The school serves a very high-poverty population, with 87.65% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025. By nearly every available metric, Hidden Lake is one of the lowest-performing schools in Colorado, ranking 327 out of 328 high schools statewide (0th percentile). This is not a recent dip — the school has ranked in the single-digit percentiles every year on record since 2010–2011.

The outcomes data is deeply concerning for parents. Only 44.0% of students graduate on time, compared to 85.6% statewide and 90.0% at nearby Westminster High School. The dropout rate is 18.2% — more than ten times the state rate of 1.6%. Chronic absenteeism affects 80.2% of students, meaning four out of five students miss substantial school time, nearly double the district rate and almost triple the state rate. Academic proficiency is extremely low: just 6% of 11th graders met grade-level expectations on the SAT Reading/Writing test versus 62% statewide, and CMAS Science proficiency was 5.2%. On the positive side, graduation rates have climbed steadily from 31.7% in 2020–2021, but dropout and absenteeism remain severe.

The comparison with Westminster High School is striking. Just 0.74 miles away and in the same district, Westminster High serves a similarly high-poverty population (82% free/reduced lunch) yet posts a 90% graduation rate, a 1.4% dropout rate, and 40% SAT Reading/Writing proficiency. Other high-poverty schools like Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School (44th percentile statewide) and Pomona Junior/Senior High School (91.5% graduation rate) show that poverty alone does not explain these results. Global Leadership Academy, with a 75.8% poverty rate, still graduates 81.4% of students. Hidden Lake appears to serve a uniquely high-need, alternative student population, and any meaningful turnaround will require focusing on re-engaging students and improving attendance first.