Best Middle Schools in zip code 81401, Colorado

Summary:

Zip code 81401 in Montrose, Colorado is served by two public middle schools—Centennial Middle School and Columbine Middle School—both part of the Montrose County School District Re-1J and serving grades 6 through 8 for a combined enrollment of approximately 1,031 students. Both schools carry a 2-star district rating and serve a majority low-income student population, with free/reduced lunch rates of 53.15% at Centennial and 50.71% at Columbine.

Centennial Middle School is the stronger overall academic performer, ranking 258th out of 469 Colorado middle schools (45th percentile) in 2025-2026. It leads in English Language Arts with 41.5% proficiency, surpassing both the district average and Columbine Middle School’s 37.4%, and it offers a more favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.6 compared to Columbine’s 16.6. Centennial also posted a low dropout rate of 1.2%, below the state average. However, Columbine Middle School is not without its bright spots. Columbine outperforms Centennial in 8th grade across every subject—ELA (45.9% vs. 39.4%), math (31.8% vs. 28.4%), and science (33.3% vs. 29.0%)—and has slightly lower chronic absenteeism at 34.6% versus Centennial’s 35.2%.

The most pressing academic challenge at both schools is math. Fewer than one in four students are proficient, with Centennial at 23.8% and Columbine at 23.6%, roughly 13–14 percentage points below the state average. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, affecting more than a third of students at each school, well above the state rate of 28.4%. Year-over-year data shows mixed progress: both schools saw ELA proficiency decline from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, while math remained flat and science improved at both schools. State rankings have been stable, with both schools hovering in the low-to-mid 40s percentile over the past three years. Overall, the data suggests that Centennial Middle School offers a stronger academic foundation, while Columbine Middle School’s 8th grade program is a standout—particularly in science—and may be a good fit for families focused on that grade level.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year

Cities Near Zip Code 81401

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Montrose	2.24 mi	13	113^th
Olathe	14.79 mi	2	183^rd
Ridgway	18.11 mi	3	14^th
Delta	24.05 mi	7	124^th
Crawford	24.69 mi	1

See the top CO Colorado cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 81401

Cities Near Zip Code 81401