Summary:
ZIP code 80623 is served by a single high school, Valley High School in Gilcrest, Colorado, which enrolls 483 students in grades 9–12 and is part of the Weld County Reorganized School District No. Re-1. Because there is only one high school in the area, the district's high school data is identical to the school's data, so the most meaningful comparisons are against state averages.
Valley High School's greatest strength is its graduation rate. In 2024–2025, 95.5% of students graduated, compared to 85.6% statewide—a nearly 10-point advantage. The school also surpassed the state in 11th-grade science proficiency in 2025–2026, with 30.2% of students scoring proficient versus 24.8% statewide. Reading and writing scores are closer to state levels, particularly at 10th grade, where 60% of students were proficient compared with 65% statewide. The student-teacher ratio is a reasonable 14.7:1, and upperclassmen in particular show relative strength in literacy.
However, there are serious challenges. Math proficiency lags far behind the state at every grade level, with only 19% of 11th graders proficient in SAT math versus 32% statewide in 2025–2026, and 9th graders at 19% versus 40% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is a major red flag: 36.8% of students were chronically absent, well above the 28.4% state rate. The dropout rate of 1.8% is slightly higher than the state's 1.6%. With 61% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school serves a majority low-income population. The school has earned a 1-star rating in each of the past three years and consistently ranks in the bottom half of Colorado high schools, making math instruction and student attendance the most urgent areas for improvement.
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