Summary:
Zip code 80005 in Arvada, Colorado, is home to 9 schools serving 6,526 students—six elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools—all within the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which is rated 4 stars and ranked 24th of 115 districts in the state. Enrollment ranges from Weber Elementary at just 312 students to Ralston Valley Senior High at 1,875, while economic need varies dramatically, from 7.1% free/reduced-price lunch eligibility at Meiklejohn Elementary to 47.4% at Pomona Junior/Senior High.
This zip code is a study in contrasts. Ralston Valley Senior High is the clear standout, ranking 19th of 338 high schools with 89% SAT reading and 64% math proficiency and a 96.8% graduation rate. Among elementaries, Meiklejohn Elementary (75.9% ELA) and Sierra Elementary (69.4% math) rank in the top 10% of the state. At the other end, Pomona Junior/Senior High ranks 253rd of 338 with just 17% SAT math proficiency and a 45.6% chronic absenteeism rate, while Weber Elementary ranks 557th and has declined three straight years.
Attendance data offers the clearest explanation for these gaps: top schools like Meiklejohn Elementary (6.7%), Sierra Elementary (7.3%), and Van Arsdale Elementary (7.6%) have the lowest chronic absenteeism, while the highest-poverty schools struggle most. Oberon Middle ranks solidly in the 78th percentile and feeds well into Ralston Valley Senior High, while Excel Academy Charter (K–8) sits mid-pack with 43.7% ELA proficiency, below the district average. Warder Elementary has shown improvement, and even Pomona Junior/Senior High graduates 91.5% of students—above the state average of 85.6%. For families, this means school choice within 80005 matters enormously, with outcomes largely tracking poverty and attendance patterns.
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