Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 80640

ZIP code 80640 in Henderson, Colorado, contains three elementary-level schools — John W Thimmig Elementary School, Belle Creek Charter School, and Henderson Elementary School — serving a combined 1,407 students in grades PK–5 or K–8 under School District 27J, which itself ranks below average statewide. All three schools have majority low-income populations (free/reduced lunch rates of 55–61%), and chronic absenteeism is elevated across the area, so families should understand that these schools face real challenges even before comparing test scores.

Belle Creek Charter School is the most consistent performer: it is the only school in the group to earn 2 stars in each of the past three years, with the highest math proficiency (26%) and the strongest science results (32.8% in 5th grade). It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism (26.4%) of the three. However, its grade-level math is uneven — excellent in 3rd grade (44.8%) but weak in 4th and 7th (15%). Meanwhile, John W Thimmig Elementary School has the best ELA proficiency (33.9%) but the weakest math (20.8%), and its 5th-grade science fell sharply from 31.5% to 18% in one year. Henderson Elementary School is the highest-need school: it has the lowest ranking, the lowest ELA (25.5%), a very low 9.8% science proficiency, and the highest chronic absenteeism at 36.6%. Positively, Henderson's math improved from 17.2% to 25.5%.

Parents should note that science is a major weakness area-wide, with Henderson and Thimmig far below the state average of 36.1%. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic issue — two of three schools exceed the state rate (28.4%) — and as one would expect, the school with the highest absenteeism also has the lowest achievement. Belle Creek's K–8 structure distinguishes it from the PK–5 schools and complicates direct comparisons. Its stable ranking over three years suggests a more consistent system, while Thimmig and Henderson improved one year and fell back the next. Finally, Belle Creek's reported 68.1 student–teacher ratio is likely a data error and should be ignored. Overall, Belle Creek is the strongest choice for consistency and math, Thimmig leads in reading, and Henderson needs the most support.