Aurora Science & Tech Middle School, Aurora CO

Original Research by School Decision on Aurora Science & Tech Middle School

Aurora Science & Tech Middle School is a charter school serving grades six through eight within the Aurora Joint District No. 28, a large district that is undergoing facility modernization under a voter-approved bond measure and is also consolidating or repurposing underutilized school buildings. The school sits in the city of Aurora, a sprawling, predominantly car-dependent suburb that is the third-largest city in Colorado and a place of significant ongoing growth, particularly along its eastern corridor near Denver International Airport.

The student body reflects the diversity of the city itself. Most students are Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black and white students, and a modest number of Asian and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a middle school of a size that is typical for its grade band, with enrollment distributed roughly evenly across the three grades.

On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, the school's proficiency rates for all students fall below the midpoint when compared to other middle schools in Adams County. The share of students scoring at the proficient or advanced level in English language arts is modest. In mathematics, the proficiency rate is lower still, and in eighth-grade science, it is also low. These are the school's state-tested results. A family considering this school would want to understand the academic support in place for students who are not yet meeting those benchmarks and how the school works to move students toward proficiency. We looked for data on the share of students who are English learners or receive special education services, but those counts were not available, which limits the picture of the student body's learning needs.

Because the school serves only middle grades, graduation rate data does not apply here. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available.

The school is a charter, which means it operates with some autonomy from the district while remaining publicly funded. This can mean a distinct instructional focus or school culture, though the data provided did not specify a particular program model or theme beyond what is in the school's name. The absence of course access or staffing data means a parent would need to inquire directly about electives, advanced coursework, and teacher qualifications.

Aurora itself is a city of spread-out subdivisions and commercial hubs rather than a single walkable downtown. Major employers include Buckley Space Force Base and the Anschutz Medical Campus. Housing in the area has seen some softening in both home values and rents, but buying a home still requires a significant share of the typical local household income. For a family, this is a city where a car is a near necessity and where the school is one of many options within a large district that is actively reshaping its footprint.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-814%

School 14% · District 18% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grades 3-827%

School 27% · District 25% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 16% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolAurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income23%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income35%Higher-income38%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income21%0 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income26%Higher-income28%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income9%Higher-income19%11 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income20%Higher-income25%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income17%8 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income13%Higher-income21%8 pp gap