Best Public Schools in Bailey, CO

Bailey, Colorado is served by three public schools within Platte Canyon School District No. 1, which together enroll 688 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district ranks 22nd out of 115 Colorado districts, earning a 4-star rating. Deer Creek Elementary School is the largest school with 367 students in grades PK–5, while Fitzsimmons Middle School (138 students, grades 6–8) and Platte Canyon High School (183 students, grades 9–12) are both relatively small, which contributes to excellent student–teacher ratios of 9.1:1 and 12.1:1 respectively.

Fitzsimmons Middle School is the standout performer, ranking in the 80th percentile among Colorado middle schools with a 4-star rating. Its proficiency rates far exceed state averages: 68.8% in ELA versus 44.8% statewide and 47.2% in math versus 35.9% statewide. The 7th grade cohort is especially remarkable, with math proficiency of 72.2% compared to just 31.8% statewide. Deer Creek Elementary School has shown consistent upward momentum, improving from the 60th to the 68th percentile over three years, and its 5th grade science proficiency of 51.9% far exceeds the 36.1% state average. Platte Canyon High School maintains strong literacy with 64.9% ELA proficiency and a 90.9% graduation rate, but its state ranking has slipped from the 74th to the 58th percentile over the same period—the opposite trajectory of Deer Creek.

All three schools outperform Colorado state averages in most subjects despite having 30–40% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Literacy is a consistent strength districtwide, while math is the primary vulnerability, especially at the high school, where SAT math proficiency dropped to 29% proficient in 2025–26. Chronic absenteeism is below the state average of 28.4% at all schools, but Platte Canyon High's 26.3% rate is a red flag and nearly 10 points higher than Deer Creek's 16.1%. The district's biggest opportunities for improvement are secondary math achievement and reducing high school absenteeism, while its small class sizes and strong literacy results provide a solid foundation for continued growth.