Best Public Schools in Fort Collins, CO

The city of Fort Collins, Colorado is home to 48 schools that serve students from elementary through high school, with the majority being elementary schools. These schools are part of the Poudre School District R-1, which is ranked 11th out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Several schools in Fort Collins stand out for their exceptional performance. Fossil Ridge High School is ranked 18th out of 349 Colorado high schools and has a 5-star rating, with impressive test scores in reading, writing, and math. At the elementary level, Zach Elementary School and Traut Core Elementary School are both ranked in the top 20 in the state and have 5-star ratings, with over 80% of their students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The Compass Community Collaborative School, a public charter high school, is also a top performer, ranked 24th in the state with a 5-star rating.

However, the data also reveals significant disparities in academic achievement across the schools in Fort Collins. There appears to be a correlation between a school's socioeconomic status, as measured by free and reduced-price lunch rates, and its performance, with the highest-poverty schools tending to have the lowest proficiency rates. Additionally, while some schools demonstrate consistent strength across all grade levels, others show more variability in their test scores. These findings suggest that the Poudre School District may need to address equity and resource allocation to ensure all students in Fort Collins have access to a high-quality education.