Schools in Zip Code 81601

Zip code 81601, covering the Glenwood Springs, Colorado area, is served by 5 schools spanning pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and enrolling roughly 2,366 students, with most schools belonging to Roaring Fork School District No. Re-1 and one alternative high school operating under Colorado River BOCES. The district overall ranks near the middle of Colorado schools, but individual campuses vary dramatically from a solid 50th-percentile elementary/middle school to a high school in the bottom 20th percentile.

Two Rivers Community School is the clear academic standout among non-high schools, with the lowest poverty rate in the area (30.3% free/reduced lunch), the lowest chronic absenteeism (18.4%), and the only ELA proficiency score (42.9%) approaching the state average (44.7%). Its 8th-grade science proficiency jumped dramatically to 48.5%, well above district and state levels. By contrast, Glenwood Springs High School is the largest school (1,032 students) and posts a strong 89.2% graduation rate, yet its state rank has slipped from the 53rd to the 38th percentile, and SAT reading/writing proficiency (51%) trails the state by 9 points. Riverview School faces the highest poverty (71.8% free/reduced lunch) and the lowest test scores, while Yampah Mountain School, despite moderate poverty, shows a very low 67.1% graduation rate and a 7.2% dropout rate, signaling a distinctly high-need alternative environment.

Chronic absenteeism emerges as a systemic concern: three of the four schools with recent data hover around 28–29%, essentially matching the state's troubling 28.4% rate, with Two Rivers the only exception. Middle-school math is another shared weakness—Glenwood Springs Middle School (23.8%), Riverview (23.7%), and Two Rivers (29.9%) all fall well below the state average of 37.3%. Even Glenwood Springs High School graduates students successfully but leaves many unprepared for college-level math (28% SAT math proficiency). While poverty strongly tracks achievement—Riverview's high poverty aligns with its low scores—Yampah's poor outcomes despite lower poverty show other factors matter. Overall, parents in 81601 see a wide range of outcomes: one improving charter, a traditional high school with strong graduation but weaker academics, and two schools facing serious challenges.