The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Performing Arts School on Broadway
The Performing Arts School on Broadway is a public middle and high school serving seventh through twelfth grade within the Mapleton School District in Denver. It is a small school, with enrollment that is modest for a combined secondary campus. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and White, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
This school is built around a clear academic and artistic focus, but the state testing data available offers a mixed picture. On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success for grades seven and eight, proficiency rates in math were low, while proficiency in English language arts was higher, though still below what many families would consider a strong showing. In eighth-grade science, proficiency landed in a similar range to English language arts. The data reflects only the younger grades in the building, as the state does not report test results for high school grades in the same way. The school's overall proficiency index, which combines all tested subjects, placed it above the midpoint among the districts in Adams County, meaning it performed better than several of its neighboring districts but still within a relatively tight overall band.
One important caution for a parent: a noticeable share of students in the tested grades did not participate in the state assessments. That participation rate can affect how representative the reported scores are. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its testing culture and whether the results reflect the full student experience.
The school's name signals a special emphasis on the performing arts, yet the data payload included no program offerings or course access details to describe what that emphasis looks like in practice. There was no information about the availability of AP, dual-credit, or career and technical education pathways. A family drawn to the arts would want to visit and learn directly about the curriculum, productions, and how arts instruction is integrated into the academic day.
Similarly, data on special populations, including students with disabilities and English learners, was not available in the record. Discipline records, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism were also absent. These are meaningful gaps for any parent trying to gauge the school's learning environment and support systems. Without them, a family should seek that information from the school office or district.
The school's location in Denver places it within a large, economically diverse city with a strong professional and cultural core. Denver is the state capital and a major hub for telecommunications, aerospace, software, financial services, health care, and tourism. Eight Fortune-ranked firms are headquartered here, and the economy is relatively broad. The city has sustained long-term population growth, with development spreading into the foothills and across the plains. The school's address on North Broadway puts it inside a built-up corridor of the city, with access to Denver's dense downtown amenities about a short drive south, though the immediate area around the school is more commercial and highway-adjacent.
The Mapleton School District, for its part, did not have any parent-relevant changes reported publicly in the recent period searched. No recent bond measures, mill levy overrides, school closures, or major curriculum shifts were identified. That means the district's direction is not currently shaped by a notable public initiative that a family could evaluate. The school's grade span, running from middle school through high school, means a student can stay in the same building from seventh grade through graduation. Enrollment in the upper grades is smaller than in middle school, which is typical for a program with selective or self-selecting enrollment, and a family moving here for the arts focus should confirm whether that pattern reflects students leaving after middle school or simply smaller cohort sizes for other reasons.
This is a school for a family invested in the performing arts, set in a city with a deep cultural infrastructure. The available academic data shows modest results in core subjects, with the school performing competitively within its county but not at a high bar. The missing information on programs, support populations, and school climate means a thorough visit and conversation with the principal are essential before enrolling.
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