Summary:
Elementary schools in Denver’s 80209 zip code include three schools serving grades PK–6 with a combined enrollment of 1,038 students: Steele Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, and the early-childhood-focused Stephen Knight Center for Early Education, all within School District No. 1, a district currently rated two stars statewide.
Steele is the clear academic leader in the area. It ranks 15th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools, placing it in the 98th percentile with a five-star rating, and it holds a top-30 position for three consecutive years. Its CMAS proficiency rates are roughly 81% in English Language Arts, 79.6% in math, and 77.8% in science — about 35 to 45 percentage points above district averages. Steele also has the lowest chronic absenteeism (11.3%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch eligibility (13.94%) among the three. Lincoln is also a strong school, ranking 58th statewide (94th percentile, five stars), with proficiency at 65.8% in ELA, 58.7% in math, and an impressive 76.5% in science — a dramatic jump from 36.4% the previous year. However, Lincoln’s ranking has been volatile, moving from 42nd to 175th to 58th over three years, which suggests sensitivity to cohort changes. Stephen Knight Center serves only PK–K and has no state ranking or test scores, but it offers the lowest student-teacher ratio at 12.7, reflecting its early-childhood focus; its chronic absenteeism is 28.4%, matching the state average but more than double Steele’s rate.
Despite the district’s modest overall rating, families in 80209 have access to two schools in the top 6% of elementary schools statewide. Steele and Lincoln both well outperform district and state averages in every subject, even though Steele serves a notably more affluent population (13.94% FRL) than Lincoln (26.13%). Stephen Knight Center provides a dedicated early-education option with smaller classes, though its attendance patterns may deserve attention. Together, these schools offer a strong educational continuum from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, with Steele standing out as one of Colorado’s top elementary schools and Lincoln providing a high-quality, more diverse alternative.
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