The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Denver Montessori Junior/senior High School
Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School serves grades six through twelve in the Denver Public Schools system. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it follows a Montessori instructional model through the secondary grades, which is a less common approach for this age span. The school is small, with a student body that skews predominantly Hispanic and White, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The enrollment is small enough that each grade from sixth through twelfth has roughly between one and two dozen students, giving it the feel of an intimate learning community.
State testing data from the 2024-2025 school year shows that in math, a slim share of students in grades six through eight scored proficient or above, well below the average for the state and for Denver County. In English language arts, about a quarter of those same grade levels met the proficiency bar, still low but notably stronger than math. Science results for eighth graders were also low, with a small fraction reaching proficiency. Participation rates in the assessments were moderate, hovering around a little more than seven out of ten students for math and English, and roughly half for science. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages performance across tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Denver County. No graduation rate was available in the data, so a parent or guardian should ask the school directly about four-year completion outcomes.
The school sits in the city of Denver, a major consolidated city-county and state capital that anchors the Rocky Mountain region. Denver’s economy is diverse, with large employers in telecommunications, aerospace, software, financial services, health care, and tourism, and the city is home to several Fortune-ranked company headquarters. Housing in the surrounding area carries a high price tag relative to the national median, and typical rents are also elevated. For families considering a move into the neighborhood, the cost of buying a home is steep and has been softening slightly in recent months, while rent has held fairly steady. The broader Denver housing market is generally less affordable than the rest of the state, so a family weighing this school should factor in housing costs if they are looking to relocate nearby.
Denver Public Schools, the district that runs this school, has undertaken several noteworthy changes recently. In late 2024, voters approved the largest bond measure in district history, which funds facility upgrades, safety improvements, technology, and new school construction across the city, with implications for property taxes. The district also moved to a unified school enrollment system starting in 2024-2025, changing how families apply to and select schools. A district-wide literacy curriculum shift rooted in the science of reading rolled out in the 2023-2024 school year for elementary grades, and a mill levy override passed in 2022 to raise teacher pay and expand mental health services. These district-level shifts could affect the experience of students and families at Denver Montessori, though the school’s own specific program offerings, course access, and staffing data were not available in the records reviewed.
The combination of a Montessori middle and high school program, a small and tight-knit peer environment, and below-average state test results makes this school a distinctive option within Denver. For a family drawn to Montessori philosophy through the secondary years, the school provides a pathway that is hard to find elsewhere in the city. However, the low proficiency rates are a real concern, especially in math, and a parent would want to discuss with the school how it supports academic growth and prepares students for college and career. The absence of graduation rate data, chronic absenteeism figures, and details on course access leaves several important questions unanswered, so direct inquiry with the school is essential.
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