Best High Schools in Zip Code 81647

Zip code 81647 in New Castle, Colorado is served by a single high school: Coal Ridge High School. Part of Garfield School District No. Re-2, this public school serves grades 9 through 12 and enrolls 578 students, with about 40% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Because this is the only high school in the zip code, the following insights focus entirely on the school's performance against district and state benchmarks.

Coal Ridge High School is a clear bright spot within its district. The school's 91.5% graduation rate tops both the district (87.7%) and the state (85.6%). The dropout rate of 1.2% is below the state average of 1.6%, and chronic absenteeism of 14.2% is roughly half the state rate of 28.4%. Academically, reading and writing is the school's strongest subject area. In 2025-2026, 62% of 11th graders were proficient on the SAT Reading and Writing test, exceeding the district (58%) and state (60%), and PSAT 10 Reading and Writing proficiency reached 68%, above the state's 65%. Math results are more mixed: SAT math proficiency (36%) outperformed the state (32%), and PSAT 10 math jumped 13 points year-over-year to 50%, but 9th-grade PSAT 9 math sits at just 28%, well below the state's 40%. The most concerning statistic is science: 11th-grade CMAS science proficiency collapsed from 30.1% to 14.7% in one year, falling far below the state average of 24.8%.

Despite serving a student body where 40% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, Coal Ridge High School maintains strong graduation and attendance outcomes that rival or beat much of the state. It also comfortably outperforms its district's overall 1-star rating; the school itself earned a 3-star rating and ranks 168th out of 338 high schools statewide (50th percentile), up from the 43rd percentile two years ago. The grade-level data suggests meaningful academic growth, particularly in math, where 10th graders (50% proficient) dramatically outpace 9th graders (28% proficient). For parents considering this area, Coal Ridge High School offers a solid, improving option with strong literacy and graduation outcomes, though families should watch the declining science scores and early high school math performance closely.