Summary:
Zip code 80501 in Longmont, Colorado, is home to two middle schools within the St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1J: Longs Peak Middle School, which serves grades 5–8 with 381 students, and Sunset Middle School, serving grades 6–8 with 316 students. The district earns a 4-star rating and ranks 23rd out of 115 Colorado districts, though both schools trail district and state averages on statewide assessments.
Sunset Middle School is clearly the standout performer in this area. It holds a 2025–2026 state rank of 276 out of 469 middle schools (41st percentile), compared to Longs Peak Middle School at 424 out of 469 (10th percentile). In English Language Arts, 33.2% of Sunset students are proficient versus 20.6% at Longs Peak, and in math the gap is even wider: 28.5% versus 13.4%. Sunset also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (27.0% vs. 31.7%) and a smaller share of economically disadvantaged students, with 58.54% eligible for free/reduced lunch compared to 80.31% at Longs Peak. Since both schools have nearly identical student-teacher ratios (12.4 and 12.5), the outcome differences point to factors beyond class size.
Longs Peak Middle School faces significant challenges beyond test scores. Its math proficiency is especially concerning in early middle grades, with just 8.1% of 5th graders and 10.6% of 6th graders proficient in math, and chronic absenteeism affects nearly one in three students. Sunset Middle School, meanwhile, improved in math from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026 (24.5% to 28.5%), but saw a notable ELA decline from 43.9% to 33.2%. Sunset's 6th-grade cohort posted its strongest scores, suggesting a relatively solid incoming group. For parents, these two schools offer very different profiles: Sunset provides a moderately stronger academic environment, while Longs Peak serves a higher-need population where targeted math and attendance interventions could make a meaningful difference.
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