Bennett Intermediate School

Bennett Intermediate School is a standalone upper-elementary school in Bennett, CO, serving grades 3–5 with 256 students, part of the Bennett School District No. 29J. The school, which sits between Bennett Elementary (K–2) and Sky Ranch Academy within the same district, is ranked 673rd of 943 Colorado elementary schools (29th percentile, 1 star) for 2025-2026. This places it in the lower-middle tier of nearby schools, behind Byers Elementary School, Strasburg Elementary School, and Sky Ranch Academy, but slightly ahead of Vista Peak P-8 and Aurora Highlands K-8.

The most notable academic pattern is math. While 3rd graders score relatively close to the state average (34.0% proficient), 4th and 5th grade proficiency falls to roughly 18–19% — a gap of about 20 points behind Colorado's average. English language arts tells a more encouraging story: proficiency improves from 26.6% in 3rd grade to 40.0% in 5th grade, though that remains about 10 points below the state. Science is a concern, with 5th grade proficiency at 27.4%, well below the state's 36.1%, and recent science scores have been volatile, including a one-year spike in 2023-2024 that was not sustained.

Compared with nearby schools, Bennett Intermediate lags several institutions that serve similar or higher-poverty populations. Murphy Creek K-8 School, for example, has a much higher free/reduced lunch rate yet posts dramatically stronger test scores. Within the same district, Sky Ranch Academy outperforms Bennett Intermediate in ELA, math, and science despite similar poverty levels. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has improved to 22.3%, below the district and state averages, though it remains higher than Sky Ranch Academy's 12.2%. The school's strongest area is 5th grade ELA, and attendance is trending in the right direction, but upper-elementary math and science instruction deserve close attention from parents.