Best Public Schools in Zip Code 80102

Zip code 80102 in Bennett, Colorado, is served by four public schools within the Bennett School District No. 29J, covering grades K-12 with a combined enrollment of roughly 1,200 students. The district ranks 88th out of 115 Colorado districts (23rd percentile) and holds a 1-star rating, placing it in the lower-performing quartile of the state, though there is considerable variation among its campuses.

The standout school is Bennett Intermediate School (grades 3-5), the only campus that exceeds district averages on all-grade ELA and math assessments, with 33.2% proficient in ELA and 24.2% in math. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 22.3% and posted the district's single highest grade-level test result, with 40% of 5th graders proficient in ELA. In contrast, Bennett Middle School (grades 6-8) is the weakest performer on nearly every metric. Its ELA proficiency is just 19.5% and math 13.2%, far below state averages of 44.7% and 37.3%. Eighth-grade science proficiency collapsed from 24% to 9% in one year, and its state ranking sits at the 9th percentile. The middle school also has the highest chronic absenteeism (30.8%) and largest class sizes (21.7:1 student-teacher ratio).

At the high school level, Bennett High School (grades 9-12) shows encouraging signs: SAT math proficiency more than doubled from 7% to 16% year-over-year, and its 91.7% graduation rate beats the state average of 85.6%, though reading and science scores remain low. Bennett Elementary School (grades K-2) has no recent test data, making early academic development a blind spot, though its 29.3% chronic absenteeism rate is a concern. Notably, the intermediate and middle schools have nearly identical free/reduced lunch rates (around 42-43%), yet the intermediate school outperforms the middle school by substantial margins, suggesting factors such as instruction and student engagement matter as much as poverty. With three of four schools at or above the state's 28.4% absenteeism average, improving attendance—especially at the middle school—could be a high-impact lever for raising achievement across this district.