Summary:
Zip code 80214 (Edgewater/Lakewood, Colorado) contains 3 elementary schools serving Pre-K through 6th grade, all part of the highly rated Jefferson County School District No. R-1. However, these three schools — Lumberg Elementary, Edgewater Elementary, and Jefferson County Open Elementary — show dramatically varied academic outcomes and student demographics.
Jefferson County Open Elementary is the clear standout, with 44.9% ELA proficiency (essentially tied with the 44.7% state average), 33.6% math proficiency, 19.4% chronic absenteeism, and 33.05% free/reduced lunch eligibility — the lowest poverty level of the three. It also has the lowest student-to-teacher ratio at 14.2. Lumberg Elementary is the most concerning, ranking 942nd out of 943 Colorado elementary schools (bottom 1%) with just 8.0% ELA proficiency, 6.3% math proficiency, 52.8% chronic absenteeism, and 85.36% free/reduced lunch eligibility. Edgewater Elementary sits in the middle — 26.7% ELA proficiency and 15.6% math proficiency — but remains in the bottom quarter of Colorado schools and has slipped from the 24th to 15th percentile over the past year.
All three schools fall below their district averages (53.7% ELA, 44.6% math), showing that district-level ratings can mask severe local disparities. Chronic absenteeism tracks closely with academic outcomes: Lumberg's 52.8% rate is nearly double the 28.4% state average, while Jefferson County Open's 19.4% is the only rate below both district and state averages. Jefferson County Open shows notable grade-level strengths (62.5% 6th-grade ELA and 51.9% 4th-grade math, both above state averages) but struggles in 5th grade. Lumberg's 4.8% 5th-grade ELA proficiency is especially alarming. Families in this area should weigh these differences carefully, as school quality within this zip code varies enormously.
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