The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ross Montessori School
Ross Montessori School is a public charter school in Carbondale, Colorado, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates under the State Charter School Institute, Colorado’s statewide charter authorizer, rather than a traditional local school district. The school occupies a building on Lewies Lane in Carbondale, a town that sits in the Roaring Fork Valley between Aspen and Glenwood Springs.
Its enrollment is modest for a K‑8 school and draws a student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and smaller numbers of Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial students. Information on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, receiving special education services, or identified as English learners is not available in the data provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its support programs and economic diversity.
Academically, the school participates in Colorado’s standardized assessments in math, English language arts, and science. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in math and ELA fell below majority levels: in math, roughly three in ten students scored proficient or above, while in English language arts that figure was a little over four in ten. At the fifth‑grade level, science proficiency was similar. Eighth‑grade science results were suppressed, meaning too few students tested to report publicly. Compared to other school districts in Garfield County, Ross Montessori’s overall proficiency across tested subjects placed in the top quarter, though the comparison set was small and covered only three districts that had data available. No high school graduation rate is reported because the school ends at eighth grade.
Carbondale itself shapes much of the context for families considering Ross Montessori. The town has shifted from a coal‑mining and agricultural past—potatoes were the early‑20th‑century mainstay—into a bedroom community for Aspen workers and a destination for second‑home construction, arts, and tourism. The downtown is compact, centered on Sopris Park and a certified Creative District, and the Third Street Center (housed in the former elementary school) anchors community organizations. Seasonal events such as Mountain Fair and the weekly summer rodeo draw visitors and locals alike. Housing in the Carbondale ZIP code is expensive, with home values well above both the state and national medians, reflecting the area’s desirability and the pressures of Aspen’s real estate market. Rents are also high. The town has free local transit via the Downtowner and is served by the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority bus system.
For a parent, Ross Montessori offers a K‑8 charter option in a community that is both small‑town and economically dynamic. The school’s academic results are moderate and the data on student supports is incomplete, so families would want to inquire about special education and English learner services directly. The high cost of housing in Carbondale is a practical consideration for any new resident. The district that authorizes the school, the State Charter School Institute, did not have any recent parent‑relevant changes—such as property‑tax measures, curriculum shifts, or boundary adjustments—reported in the available records, so that is not a factor at this time.
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