The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 43% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dc Montessori Charter School
DC Montessori Charter School, in Castle Rock, serves preschool through eighth grade and operates as a public charter school within the Douglas County School District. It is a regular school that follows the Montessori approach, a pedagogy that emphasizes self-directed learning, mixed-age classrooms, and hands-on work. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with the next largest groups being students who identify as Hispanic and as two or more races. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the broader affluence of the Castle Rock area. Housing values in the zip code are well above state and national benchmarks, and rents are correspondingly high, making this a relatively expensive community to enter.
Academically, the school’s state testing results present an uneven picture that warrants attention. In English language arts, a solid majority of students in grades three through eight scored proficient or above, a strong showing. In math, fewer than half of students in those same grades reached the proficient mark, a softer performance that a parent may want to explore with the school to understand what supports are in place and how the Montessori curriculum aligns with state standards. Science results, tested only in fifth and eighth grades, show a sharp split: eighth-graders posted a very high proficiency rate, while fifth-graders came in below the majority mark. The eighth-grade science figure is based on a much smaller group of students, and the participation rate for that test was lower than typical, so the result should be interpreted with some caution.
Castle Rock itself is a fast-growing suburban town and the county seat of Douglas County, located about a half-hour drive south of Denver along the I-25 corridor. Its growth has been explosive over recent decades, transforming it from a small county seat into a major suburban municipality with a historic downtown, a large outlet mall, and extensive park and trail infrastructure. The town is car-dependent overall, though the historic downtown core on Wilcox Street is walkable. Major employers include the local hospital, the county government, and the school district itself. The broader district, Douglas County School District Re 1, has made recent investments that families will feel. In 2022, voters approved a mill levy override for teacher compensation and mental health support, the district’s first successful one in a long stretch. In 2024, voters approved a substantial bond for new school construction, safety upgrades, and facility renovations, along with another mill levy override for teacher recruitment and retention. The bond was structured so the tax rate does not increase because prior bonds are retiring.
Because DC Montessori is a charter school, it has its own enrollment process and educational identity distinct from the district’s other schools. Families considering it should be aware that the Montessori model can differ significantly from conventional instruction, particularly in pacing and how subjects like math are introduced. The school serves only up to eighth grade, so families will need to plan for a high school transition. The school’s outcomes in math and the split science results suggest that parents may benefit from a direct conversation with the school about how its approach maps to state testing expectations and what academic supports are available. The school’s size is moderate for a PK-8 building. State testing data for the 2024-25 school year is the most recent available, and multi-year trend information was not provided in the available data. The school environment and civil-rights data, including chronic absenteeism and discipline rates, were also not available in the materials reviewed.
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