Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 80205

Middle Schools in zip code 80205 include two public schools—DSST: Cole Middle School and Manual Middle School—both serving grades 6–8 within School District No. 1, a district ranked 71 out of 115 Colorado districts with a 2-star rating. The two schools serve similar grade bands and share the same neighborhood context, but they differ significantly in academic performance and trajectory. Manual Middle School is the clear academic standout, ranking 340th out of 469 schools statewide, while DSST: Cole Middle School ranks much lower at 439th out of 469.

Manual Middle School outperforms DSST: Cole in nearly every academic measure. Its ELA proficiency is 30.3% compared to DSST: Cole's 16.3%, and its math proficiency is 14.7% versus 9.2%. Science proficiency at Manual is also higher at 23.3% versus 17.5%. Manual has improved dramatically, jumping from the 7th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 28th percentile in 2025–2026, while DSST: Cole has declined sharply from the 17th percentile to the 6th percentile over the same period. Interestingly, DSST: Cole has a lower student-teacher ratio (11.8) than Manual (14.0), yet Manual still achieves stronger results, suggesting that factors such as instructional quality and school culture play important roles beyond class size.

Both schools face serious challenges that parents should know about. Chronic absenteeism affects more than half of students at each school—55.8% at DSST: Cole and 53.8% at Manual—nearly double the state average of 28.4%. Both schools also serve high-poverty populations, with free/reduced lunch rates of 86.2% at DSST: Cole and 71.2% at Manual. Neither school reaches state averages in core subjects, though Manual's 8th-grade ELA proficiency of 40.3% stands out as a bright spot, nearly matching the state average of 42.2%. Dropout rates remain low at both schools (2.0% at DSST: Cole and 1.4% at Manual), indicating most students stay enrolled through middle school. For parents, Manual Middle School is the stronger academic choice with an upward trend, while DSST: Cole offers smaller class sizes but shows urgent needs for improvement in proficiency and reversing its downward ranking.