Summary:
Zip code 80401 in Jefferson County, Colorado is home to three middle schools — Bell Middle School, Manning Options School, and Connections Learning Center on the Earle Johnson Campus — serving grades 6 through 9 within the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, a 4-star district ranked 24th out of 115 districts statewide (79th percentile). The campuses are very different in size and mission: Bell is a large traditional middle school with 774 students, Manning is an options/choice school with 685 students, and Connections is a small alternative learning center with just 22 students.
Manning Options School is the clear academic standout, ranked 23rd out of 469 Colorado middle schools with a 5-star rating and 95th-percentile placement. It leads in every subject, with 75.7% ELA proficiency, 66.3% math proficiency, and 65.9% 8th-grade science proficiency — roughly 30 points above state averages. Manning also has the lowest chronic absenteeism (13.7%) and lowest poverty rate (12.3% free/reduced lunch). Bell Middle School is the strongest traditional option and is improving rapidly: its rank jumped from the 74th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 87th percentile in 2025-2026, and math proficiency rose from 43.8% to 53.8% in one year. Bell also posts strong science results (63% proficient) and exceeds state averages by 16 to 28 points across subjects.
Connections Learning Center on the Earle Johnson Campus fills a very different role. With 22 students and a 2.3:1 student-teacher ratio, it provides an intensely individualized environment for high-needs students, but faces severe challenges: 85.1% chronic absenteeism, 63.6% free/reduced lunch eligibility, and no recent test scores or rankings — making direct academic comparisons with Bell and Manning impossible. For parents, Manning delivers top-tier academics and engagement, Bell offers a strong and steadily improving traditional school, and Connections serves a distinct alternative population where attendance and poverty are the primary challenges.
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