Best Public Schools in Zip Code 80401

Zip code 80401 is home to Golden High School, Bell Middle School, Golden View Classical Academy, Manning Options School, Kyffin Elementary School, Jeffco Virtual Academy, Shelton Elementary School, Maple Grove Elementary School, Free Horizon Montessori, Welchester Elementary School, Ralston Elementary School, and Connections Learning Center on the Earle Johnson Campus, serving roughly 6,379 students across pre-K through 12th grade. Most of these schools belong to Jefferson County School District No. R-1, a strong district ranked 24th in Colorado, while State Charter School Institute oversees Golden View Classical Academy.

The academic standouts are clear. Ralston Elementary School ranks 26th out of 943 elementary schools (97th percentile) with a 5-star rating, leading the area in CMAS ELA (80%) and math (74%), and has the lowest poverty rate at just 3% free/reduced lunch. Kyffin Elementary School is also 5-star, ranking 40th, with similarly strong proficiency. Among middle schools, Manning Options School is far ahead of Bell Middle School, with 76% ELA proficiency versus 63%, and a 95th percentile rank. Golden High School is the top traditional high school, graduating 97.3% of students and posting SAT scores far above state averages. Meanwhile, Golden View Classical Academy achieves elite high school results—97% SAT reading proficiency—though its elementary and middle school scores are more mixed.

Not every school fits this success pattern. Jeffco Virtual Academy has a low 52.4% graduation rate and 55% chronic absenteeism, though its ranking has jumped from the 49th to 70th percentile. Welchester Elementary School has high poverty (72% free/reduced lunch) and below-average scores, but is improving. Connections Learning Center on the Earle Johnson Campus serves high-need students with just 22 kids and an 85% absenteeism rate. The most consistent theme is that chronic absenteeism tracks performance: top schools like Ralston, Kyffin, Manning, and Maple Grove all have rates under 14%, while struggling schools have rates above 25%. For parents, attendance rates and economic demographics often signal which schools will offer the strongest academic environment.