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Public middle school · Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Golden, Colorado

Bell Middle School

Bell Middle School rates 8.0, among the strongest middle schools in Jefferson County School District No. R-1, where the rated median is 6.7.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.0this school

8.0 on a one-to-ten scale; the Jefferson County School District No. R-1 median is 6.7.

#283 of 1,829 schools in Colorado · Jefferson County School District No. R-1: 19 middle schools rated, median 6.7

The brief

A Jefferson County School District No. R-1 middle school where students score 6 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 283 of 1,829 schools in Colorado and 37 of 141 in Jefferson County School District No. R-1.

Bell Middle School is listed in Jefferson County School District No. R-1, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math54%17 points above the Colorado average of 37%2026 CMAS
Reading63%18 points above the Colorado average of 45%2026 CMAS
Proficiency declined earlier in the 18-year record (2009–2026), then recovered 17 points since 2021, reaching 58% in 2026.2026 CMAS; 43 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.3
40% of the rating
Academics
8.6
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.1
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 50% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 64% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 CMAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 CMAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 CMAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 CMAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 80401; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Bell Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$112,444
Median home value
$748,800
Median rent
$1,868/mo
College educated
56.9%
Homeownership
66%
Poverty rate
9.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80401; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
62
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
31
Some Transit
Bike Score
67
Bikeable
City reported crime
2,295/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Golden. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Golden), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
29.6%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Bell Middle Schoolthis school
    8.0
  2. 7.5Compare →
  3. 7.4Compare →
  4. 6.2Compare →
  5. 6.0Compare →
  6. 4.3Compare →
  7. 3.8Compare →
  8. 3.0Compare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Bell Middle School among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Bell Middle School serve?

Bell Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Bell Middle School?

Bell Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 751 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bell Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Bell Middle School is 18.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Bell Middle School rank in CO?

Bell Middle School ranks #283 of 1,829 schools in CO.

What is Bell Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Bell Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Bell Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Bell Middle School has 50% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Bell Middle School a charter school?

No, Bell Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Bell Middle School a Title I school?

No, Bell Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Bell Middle School?

29.6% of students at Bell Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
751
Student-teacher ratio
18.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
40
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Jefferson County
Rank in district
#37 of 141
Schools in district
148
District spending per student
$14,483
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 80401)
43,429
Area average commute
23.8 min
Area median age
38.6

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Colorado Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.