The Colorado Board of Education recently approved a more difficult, rigorous rating system for schools in the state, which many believe will prompt a ratings decline for hundreds of schools. However, the Centennial State’s five best school districts perform so well that it’s unlikely that the ratings adjustment will affect them in a significant way. Let’s take a closer look at these five high-performing school districts. 

Lewis-Palmer School District #38 is the best school system in Colorado. Consisting of five elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools in El Paso County, LPSD exemplifies a well-rounded school district where extracurricular programs are just as important as academics. LPSD schools brought home multiple state championships in sports and other competitive activities during the 2018-2019 school year, while over 85% of the district’s graduates went on to a post-secondary education. 

Colorado’s 2nd best school district is Cheyenne Mountain School District 12, comprising nine schools in southwest Colorado Springs with a total enrollment of around 5,100. D12 students excel in academics, earning test scores which are some of the highest in the state, and like #1 LPSD, 85% of graduates went on to attend university. 

Placing 3rd is Weld RE-4 School District, encompassing eleven schools in the towns of Windsor and Severance.  Weld RE-4 boasts a graduation rate well above state and national averages.

Steamboat Springs School District Re-2 earns the 4th spot in the ranking. The district holds “Accredited with Distinction” status with the Colorado Department of Education and a number of its schools have received the prestigious John Irwin and Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Awards. 

Filling out the list of Colorado’s top five school systems is Summit School District, which serves over 3,500 students hailing from several mountain resort communities in Summit County. SSD boasts a favorable student-to-teacher ratio and a high graduation rate of 95%.

Top School Districts in Colorado, 2020

Methodology

The following variables contributed to the ranking: number of students (K-12), graduation rate, school funding per student, student to teacher ratio, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Math test, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Reading and Language test. Data from a total of 10,247 public school districts were used to compute a score for each school district. The following states were omitted due to lack of sufficient data: Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia. Note that high schools in some states have their own independent districts.