Summary:
The 80543 zip code, located in Milliken, Colorado, is served by two schools in Weld County School District No. Re-5J: Milliken Elementary School (PK-5) and Knowledge Quest Academy (K-8), with a combined enrollment of 867 students.
The two schools tell contrasting stories. Milliken Elementary has shown steady improvement, climbing from the 16th to the 33rd percentile in state rankings over three years, despite having a higher share of students receiving free/reduced lunch (49.4%) and slightly higher chronic absenteeism (16.5%). Its English Language Arts proficiency (38.7%) actually beats the district average (37.9%), and its 5th-grade ELA score (45.5%) is close to the state level. Knowledge Quest Academy, on the other hand, has moved in the opposite direction — falling from the 44th to the 28th percentile — even though it has lower poverty (27.1%) and better attendance (14.6% chronic absenteeism). This makes Knowledge Quest a declining performer despite more socioeconomic advantages.
Math is a shared weakness: both schools fall well below district and state averages, and Milliken’s math proficiency drops by grade (from 28.8% in 3rd grade to 19.3% in 5th). Knowledge Quest shines in 8th-grade science (42.2% vs. 34.7% district and state averages), but its 5th-grade science plummeted to 11.9%, suggesting uneven curriculum alignment. Both schools report chronic absenteeism far better than the state rate of 28.4%. With no standalone middle or high school, Knowledge Quest is the only option beyond 5th grade within the zip code, so families seeking a traditional secondary experience may need to look elsewhere. Overall, Milliken is the rising standout, while Knowledge Quest needs to address its downward trend.
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