Summary:
Zip code 80528, in the Fort Collins/Windsor area of Colorado, is home to 7 schools serving approximately 4,745 students in grades K-12: three elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. Six of the seven belong to Poudre School District R-1, ranked 12th of 115 Colorado districts with a 5-star rating, while Colorado Early Colleges Windsor operates under the State Charter School Institute, ranked 49th of 115.
The academic standouts are exceptional. Zach Elementary School ranks 11th of 943 elementary schools with 87% ELA and 81.9% Math proficiency, while Traut Core Elementary School ranks 31st with 79.6% ELA and the zip's lowest chronic absenteeism (8.9%). Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School ranks 10th of 469 middle schools with 78.1% ELA and 79.3% Math, far ahead of Preston Middle School (56.4% ELA, 47% Math). Fossil Ridge High School ranks 21st of 338 high schools with a 97.1% graduation rate and 86% SAT Reading/Writing proficiency, while Colorado Early Colleges Windsor is the zip's weakest school, sitting at the 34th percentile with 27.3% ELA proficiency and a 75% graduation rate.
Several patterns stand out. Economic disadvantage tracks closely with performance: the top schools, Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School (11.8% free/reduced lunch) and Zach Elementary School (15.9%), serve the fewest low-income students, while Preston Middle School (29.8%) and Bacon Elementary School (27.0%) serve more — yet these schools still beat state averages in most subjects. Fossil Ridge High School's 42.7% chronic absenteeism rate is a paradox, as the school still graduates 97.1% of students, a reminder that no single metric tells the full story. All of this makes 80528 one of the strongest public school clusters in Colorado.
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