STEM School Highlands Ranch

STEM School Highlands Ranch is one of the expansive multi-level schools in HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colorado, one of the schools within Douglas County School District No. Re 1, with 1,394 students on its rolls from grades K through 12. That puts it 167% bigger than the typical public school in Colorado, which averages around 523 students.

Douglas County School District No. Re 1 runs 89 schools in total, collectively educating 61,550 students. STEM School Highlands Ranch is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, STEM School Highlands Ranch reports that the largest single group is White at 51%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school records 26% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, 3% Black. By comparison, Douglas County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, STEM School Highlands Ranch logs 79 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 17.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.3:1, putting STEM School Highlands Ranch higher than the state norm the norm. Around 13% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, STEM School Highlands Ranch tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 58.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 61.4%.

Zooming out to the county, Douglas County reports that the typical household earns roughly $149,594 per year, 62% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 3% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Douglas County runs 92 public schools (combined enrollment of about 63,841 students), of which STEM School Highlands Ranch is one.

The closest other public school is Northridge Elementary School, roughly 0.9 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, STEM School Highlands Ranch comes 7th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 64.4%.

STEM School Highlands Ranch operates from a residential location. As a public charter, STEM School Highlands Ranch runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at STEM School Highlands Ranch has edged down 23%, going from 1,816 students in 2018 to 1,394 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 65% to 51% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 21.6:1 in 2018 to 17.6:1 in 2025.

On this page, the feed for STEM School Highlands Ranch typically covers pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.