Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 80020

Zip code 80020 contains two public middle schools serving grades 6–8 in the Broomfield area: Westlake Middle School and Broomfield Heights Middle School. Despite sharing a ZIP code, they belong to different districts — Adams 12 Five Star Schools and Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 — and have very different profiles. Westlake is the larger school with 853 students, while Broomfield Heights has 490. Both schools serve similar shares of economically disadvantaged students, with roughly 33% receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Westlake Middle School is the standout performer in this area. It ranks 102nd out of 469 Colorado middle schools (78th percentile) with a 4-star rating, while Broomfield Heights Middle School ranks 139th (70th percentile), also with 4 stars. Westlake outperforms Broomfield Heights in every tested subject: ELA proficiency is 59.5% versus 56.5%, math is 48.5% versus 38.7%, and 8th-grade science is 47.3% versus 44.4%. This is notable because Westlake's district, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, is only mid-ranked in Colorado (57th percentile), while Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 is one of the top districts in the state (96th percentile). Broomfield Heights does have a more favorable student–teacher ratio (16.5:1 vs. 18.6:1), but that advantage does not translate into higher test scores.

The most compelling insight is how much school-level outcomes can diverge from district reputation. Westlake scores far above its district averages — 59.5% vs. 42.3% in ELA and 48.5% vs. 35.5% in math — while Broomfield Heights falls well below its district's averages: 56.5% vs. 65.3% in ELA and 38.7% vs. 56.1% in math. Math is the weak subject at both schools, with an 11-point ELA-to-math gap at Westlake and an 18-point gap at Broomfield Heights. Chronic absenteeism rates are nearly identical (23.8% and 23.3%), yet Westlake beats its district's rate while Broomfield Heights trails its own. Trends are moving in opposite directions: Westlake improved in ELA from 55.6% to 59.5%, while Broomfield Heights dropped from 60.2% to 56.5%. Both schools currently hold 4-star ratings, but Westlake has earned that rating for three consecutive years.