The top reported proficiency rate is 11% in English language arts. The lowest is 5% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Del Mar Academy
Del Mar Academy is a regular public school in Aurora, Colorado, serving students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. It is part of the Adams-Arapahoe 28J School District, often referred to as Aurora Public Schools. The school is situated in the ZIP code area surrounding Vaughn Street, a location in the older, central part of the city. Aurora itself is a sprawling, largely suburban city and the third most populous in Colorado, covering a considerable geographic area across three counties. Its built environment is predominantly car-dependent, and the city lacks a single, dominant downtown, with civic and institutional life spread across its large footprint.
The school’s enrollment is substantial for a PK-6 campus. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller proportion of Black students and a modest White population, alongside small shares of Asian, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A very large share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need. The district does not receive Title I status information for this school in available data. Information on the share of students with disabilities or those classified as English learners was missing from the reviewed data, a gap a prospective parent may wish to clarify directly with the school.
State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show a challenging academic context. In both math and English language arts for grades three through eight, the share of students scoring at or above the proficient level was very low. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Arapahoe County. The test participation rate was somewhat below the ideal threshold, which is a detail a parent might explore with the school for context. Science results for fifth grade were suppressed by the state and thus not available for public reporting, so no conclusion can be drawn about that subject.
The school itself, as a regular elementary and middle school, does not generate a graduation rate, and no data was provided on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing levels. This limits the picture of day-to-day school environment and operations.
The surrounding community’s housing market is moderately priced relative to the state. Home values and rents are below the Colorado statewide benchmark, though the national affordability context shows that homeownership still requires a significant household income. The area has seen modest recent declines in home values, while rents have remained relatively flat. The broader Aurora economy is anchored by major employers including Buckley Space Force Base, the Anschutz Medical Campus, the University of Colorado Hospital, and the school district itself.
Aurora continues to grow, with planned development along the corridor south of Denver International Airport and the ongoing expansion of the Anschutz Medical Campus. For the district specifically, voters approved a bond measure in 2022 that funds facility improvements, safety upgrades, and school modernization across Aurora Public Schools. Separately, the district has undertaken a school consolidation and repurposing process, closing or changing the use of under-enrolled buildings. This restructuring affects school assignments and feeder patterns, and a family considering Del Mar Academy would want to understand how these district-wide changes might affect the school’s long-term stability or its role in the district’s evolving plan.
Del Mar Academy offers a PK-6 program in a high-need urban setting. The academic achievement data indicates a school that is in a difficult period, with a very small proportion of students reaching state proficiency benchmarks in math and reading. For a family considering this school, the decision may hinge on the specific supports and interventions available for students who are behind grade level, the nature of the school climate, and how the ongoing district consolidation might shape the school and its attendance zone in the years ahead.
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