Summary:
The three middle schools in zip code 80249 — DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School, KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School, and Rocky Mountain Prep Green Valley Ranch — serve roughly 1,325 students in middle grades (two schools cover grades 6–8; KIPP spans grades 5–8) across Denver, CO, all within School District No. 1, which ranks 71st out of 115 Colorado districts. All three schools serve similar high-poverty populations, with free/reduced lunch eligibility ranging from 79.9% to 83.6%, making direct school-to-school comparisons especially meaningful.
DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School is the clear standout. It holds the highest state rank (274 of 469), posts the best ELA proficiency at 39.6%, and is the only school in the zip code with chronic absenteeism (25.8%) below the state average of 28.4%. KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School is the most improved, climbing from the 24th percentile in 2023–24 to the 32nd percentile in 2025–26. It offers the smallest class sizes with an 11.8 student–teacher ratio, a 0.0% dropout rate, and slightly higher math proficiency (23.7%) than DSST (23.3%). Rocky Mountain Prep Green Valley Ranch is the highest-concern school, ranking 410 of 469 with the lowest ELA (24.0%) and math (12.1%) proficiency, the highest chronic absenteeism (41.8%), and the largest class sizes (19.6 ratio).
Math proficiency is a systemic challenge across the zip code — no school exceeds 23.7%, well below the state average of 37.3%. Chronic absenteeism tracks almost perfectly with performance: lower attendance means lower scores. There are bright spots, though: DSST's 7th grade ELA score of 53.7% exceeds both district and state averages, and KIPP's 8th grade math (35.8%) nearly matches the state. KIPP's small class sizes do not yet translate into top scores, suggesting instructional quality and school culture matter as much as class size. For families, DSST currently stands out as the highest-performing option, while KIPP is a school to watch for continued improvement.
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