Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 80239

ZIP code 80239 in Denver contains three middle schools serving grades 6–8 — DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School, Montbello Middle School, and Rocky Mountain Prep Noel — all part of School District No. 1, with 1,053 total students and high poverty levels (81–92% free/reduced lunch). All three schools struggle academically, with proficiency rates far below district and state averages in every subject. The combined average proficiency across the three schools is roughly 30 percentage points below state averages in English Language Arts and 23–25 points below in math and science.

DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School is the clear academic leader in this ZIP code, ranking in the 26th percentile statewide (345 out of 469) with proficiency rates roughly three to four times higher than Montbello Middle School's. Montbello Middle School is the most challenged school, ranking in the bottom 1% statewide with just 4.9% science proficiency, a 3.6% dropout rate, and the highest chronic absenteeism at 49.1%. Rocky Mountain Prep Noel falls in between, ranking in the 5th percentile, but showed the strongest year-over-year math improvement, more than doubling from 5.7% to 13.8% proficient.

Chronic absenteeism is alarmingly high across all three schools, ranging from 45.0% at DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School to 49.1% at Montbello Middle School, roughly 1.6 times the state average of 28.4%. Montbello Middle School's 3.6% dropout rate is especially concerning for a middle school, more than double the state rate. Despite sharing the same neighborhood and poverty context, DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School outperforms Montbello Middle School by 2.9 times in ELA, 3.2 times in math, and 4.2 times in science, suggesting school-level factors matter. The district itself ranks in the 38th percentile statewide, compounding the challenges these schools face. For parents, DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School is the strongest option in the area, while all schools face significant work in improving attendance and closing large proficiency gaps.