Summary:
Zip code 80809 in Cascade, Colorado, contains just one school—Ute Pass Elementary School—a small PK-6 school with 174 students serving as the only educational option within the zip code, meaning families must look outside the area for middle and high school.
Ute Pass Elementary is part of the highly rated Manitou Springs School District No. 14, which ranks in the 86th percentile of Colorado districts and holds a 4-star rating. The school itself is above average compared to the state, with 56.4% proficiency in English Language Arts and 48.2% in Math, both roughly 11 points higher than state averages. Its strongest performance comes in 6th grade, where ELA proficiency reaches 72.9%—more than 31 points above the state—and math hits 56.5%. The school also boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.6%, far better than the district’s 15.6% and the state’s 28.4%, and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.4. However, 5th grade presents a clear challenge: math proficiency drops to just 19% (vs. 37.7% district and 39.3% state) and science sits at 25% (vs. 41.2% district). The school also trails its own district in several categories, including 4th and 5th grade ELA. As a result, Ute Pass Elementary has earned a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, ranking 308th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools for the 2025-26 school year—solidly in the 67th percentile, though not at the elite level of its 4-star district.
For parents, Ute Pass Elementary offers a supportive, small-school environment with strong attendance and excellent 6th-grade outcomes, but the notable 5th-grade dip in math and science is worth monitoring. With no secondary schools in the zip code, families should plan for transitions to schools outside 80809 for middle and high school. Overall, this is a dependable, above-average elementary option, particularly for younger grades, set within a top-tier district.
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