Summary:
Zip code 80209 in Denver, Colorado, is home to five schools in School District No. 1, serving students from preschool through high school. Although the district ranks in the 38th percentile statewide, the schools in this zip code are a bright spot, with every ranked school landing in at least the 78th percentile.
The clear standout is Steele Elementary School, which ranks #15 in Colorado with a 5-star rating and 98th percentile. Steele posts proficiency rates of 81% in ELA and 79.6% in math, roughly double the state averages, while keeping chronic absenteeism at just 11.3%. Close behind is DSST: Cedar Middle School, a 4-star school in the 90th percentile that achieves strong results while serving a population where over half of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. DSST: Cedar High School is also solid, with SAT math proficiency double the state average and a 94.9% graduation rate. Lincoln Elementary School earns 5 stars with high scores, but its state rank has fluctuated dramatically from #42 to #175 to #58, so families should watch for cohort effects. Stephen Knight Center for Early Education offers the lowest student-teacher ratio at 12.7 and serves PK-K students.
Across all campuses, math is a major strength, with elementary and middle school proficiency well above state levels. Elementary science scores are exceptionally strong as well, though high school science trails at just 27.1% proficient. The main concerns are DSST: Cedar High's 36.3% chronic absenteeism rate, the highest in the zip code, and Lincoln's instability. Families in 80209 have excellent options, from the top-ranked Steele Elementary to the equity-minded DSST schools.
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