Platte River Charter Academy

4085 LARK SPARROW ST.
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO 80126

Charter School 477 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 8th

School Overview

Platte River Charter Academy (PRCA) is a public K-8 charter school located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, operating under the Douglas County School District. The school is known for its commitment to a traditional, structured academic environment that emphasizes core subjects such as language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. By focusing on a "back-to-basics" approach, PRCA aims to provide students with a strong foundational knowledge base while fostering character development and personal responsibility in a smaller, community-focused setting.

Beyond its academic curriculum, the school places a significant emphasis on parental involvement and community partnership, which are central tenets of the charter model. PRCA typically maintains smaller class sizes and a disciplined classroom culture designed to minimize distractions and maximize individual student growth. As a school of choice, it attracts families who are seeking a rigorous, teacher-led educational experience that prepares students for the challenges of high school and beyond.

477

Total Students

28.5

Full-Time Teachers

16.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

4.0%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Platte River Charter Academy
Demographic	Student Count
White	329
Hispanic	35
Black	4
Asian	64
Two or More	42
American Indian	3

White
329 (69.0 %)
Asian
64 (13.4 %)
Two or More
42 (8.8 %)
Hispanic
35 (7.3 %)
Black
4 (0.8 %)
American Indian
3 (0.6 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Douglas County School District No. Re 1
Phone:	(303)221-1070
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 8th
Total Students:	477
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	28.5
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	16.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes participating without using any Provision or the CEO
Qualified Free Lunch:	15
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	4

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 44

Grade 1 55

Grade 2 53

Grade 3 54

Grade 4 54

Grade 5 54

Grade 6 56

Grade 7 54

Grade 8 53