Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 80535

ZIP code 80535 is home to a single middle school, Cache La Poudre Middle School, which serves 280 students in grades 6–8 in Laporte, CO, as part of the highly rated Poudre School District R-1. Since there is only one middle school in this area, there are no direct school-to-school comparisons to make; instead, the school stands on its own as a consistently strong performer. Cache La Poudre Middle School has earned a 4-star rating in each of the past three school years, placing it solidly in the top quarter of Colorado middle schools—110th out of 469 schools in 2025–2026 (77th percentile), 95th out of 469 in 2024–2025 (80th percentile), and 108th out of 485 in 2023–2024 (78th percentile).

Academically, the school beats state averages in every tested subject but trails its district in overall ELA and math. In 2025–2026, 55.2% of students were proficient in English Language Arts (compared to 44.7% statewide and 60.1% in the district), and 49.6% were proficient in math (compared to 37.3% statewide and 52.2% in the district). The standout is 8th-grade science, where 67.9% of students were proficient—nearly double the state rate of 35.4% and well above the district's 49.1%. Eighth graders also shine in math (69.2% vs. 37.8% statewide) and ELA (65.4% vs. 42.2% statewide). The chronic absenteeism rate of 24.7% is lower than the district's 30.7% and the state's 28.4%, and the most recent reported dropout rate was 0.0%. The student-teacher ratio is a reasonable 14:1.

One of the most notable findings is the strong academic growth from 6th to 8th grade. In the most recent year, math proficiency climbed from 36.7% in 6th grade to 44.4% in 7th grade and 69.2% in 8th grade, while ELA proficiency rose from 48.3% to 52.7% to 65.4%. This suggests students make significant learning gains during their middle school years. The main challenge is 6th- and 7th-grade performance, which lags the district by roughly 5–10 percentage points, but by 8th grade the school overtakes the district in every subject. As part of Poudre School District R-1—ranked 12th out of 115 Colorado districts with a 5-star rating—Cache La Poudre Middle School is well-positioned for continued success.