Original Research by School Decision on Laredo Child Development Center
Laredo Child Development Center is a public prekindergarten school in Aurora, Colorado, serving only the PK grade level. Because it is an early childhood center, the school does not administer state assessments and has no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data—those metrics simply do not apply to a program that serves children for a single year before kindergarten. This is not a gap in reporting; it is the nature of the school.
The student body reflects the surrounding neighborhood: a large majority of children are Hispanic, with a substantial share who are Black, and small percentages who are White, Asian, or of two or more races. About eight in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of concentrated economic need. The school enrolls roughly the size of a small early childhood program for its grade band, all in prekindergarten. Families considering this center should know that it functions as an entry point into the Aurora Public Schools system and that the student demographic is one of high diversity and high poverty.
Aurora itself is a sprawling, largely suburban city that covers a vast area across three counties. It is the third-largest city in Colorado. The built environment is car-dependent, with commercial hubs like the Southlands shopping center rather than a walkable downtown. Major employers include Buckley Space Force Base, the Anschutz Medical Campus, and the city’s two school districts. The city continues to grow, especially along the corridor near Denver International Airport, where an aerotropolis is planned. This growth shapes the broader context for families, though Laredo sits in an older part of the city where housing values and rents are moderate relative to the Denver metro area. Housing costs have softened recently, but the area remains less affordable than national averages.
At the district level, Aurora Public Schools has been making long-term investments. Voters approved a bond measure in 2022 that funds facility improvements, safety upgrades, and school modernization across the district. Separately, the district has undertaken a school consolidation and repurposing process, closing or repurposing underutilized buildings. These changes may affect feeder patterns and campus availability in the coming years, but Laredo Child Development Center itself is a prekindergarten program, so families would typically move to an elementary school after this year. The consolidation effort could alter which elementary school a child attends, so a parent may want to ask the school or district about current feeder patterns and any planned changes.
No state testing data exists for Laredo because it serves only prekindergarten. No information on staffing ratios, special education services, or English learner supports was available in the data provided, so a parent considering this program would want to ask the school directly about class sizes, teacher qualifications, and any specialized support for children with disabilities or who are learning English. The school’s website and district contact are the best next steps.
In short, Laredo Child Development Center is a single-year prekindergarten program in a large, diverse, and economically challenged neighborhood of a fast-growing suburban city. It sits within a school district that is actively modernizing its facilities and reshaping its school footprint. Families looking for a prekindergarten placement in this part of Aurora should evaluate the program’s daily structure, support services, and what kindergarten options follow.
See more original research from School Decision →