The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 43% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carbondale Community Charter School
Carbondale Community Charter School serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade in Carbondale, Colorado. It operates as a regular public school with a charter status, meaning it has a distinct educational framework within the Roaring Fork School District No. Re-1. The school is relatively small for its grade band, and its enrollment is more racially homogeneous than many schools in the region, with a substantial majority of students identifying as white and a smaller share identifying as Hispanic or Latino. About a third of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a common marker of economic need.
On the state assessments, Carbondale Community Charter School posted results that sit well above the midpoint among elementary and middle schools in Garfield County, a position that places it among the strongest performers in the county by overall proficiency. In English language arts, the share of students meeting or exceeding state standards was notably higher than typical for the area, more than half of those tested. In mathematics, roughly two out of every five students reached the proficient or advanced level. Science results were mixed; data for fifth-grade science was suppressed, so only the eighth-grade results are available for direct comparison, where half of the tested students met the state standard. This is a solid showing, though families may want to ask the school directly about its science program across the middle years, since only one grade level provides visible data. The school tested nearly one hundred students in math and reading, giving those numbers a reliable base for interpretation.
Carbondale itself contributes to what a family experiences here. The town has been a bedroom community for Aspen workers for decades, and it retains a compact, small-town feel with a lively summer event calendar, a certified creative district, a community nonprofit hub in a converted elementary school downtown, and free local transportation through the Downtowner. Mount Sopris dominates the southern skyline. Housing costs in the area are very high, reflecting the broader Roaring Fork Valley real estate market driven by tourism and second-home demand, which means many working families face a steep housing market. Rents are also elevated. This economic context matters for a school where about a third of students receive meal assistance; that share is notable in a community with high housing costs, suggesting a mix of households ranging from those with significant resources to those stretching to make ends meet.
The school offers no high school grades, so there are no graduation rate data to report. Because it serves only kindergarten through eighth grade, families with a child here will eventually be making a transition to a high school within the Roaring Fork district or elsewhere, and it is worth noting that the district offers dual language programming options at several of its other schools, including a dual language school in Basalt and biliteracy programming in Glenwood Springs, which could affect future school choices.
The district itself recently launched a multi-year strategic plan built from stakeholder input and performance data, with priorities including rigorous learning for all and student-centered partnerships. That kind of planning may or may not trickle down into daily life at a charter school, since charters often have more autonomy, but it is a signal that the district is thinking systematically about instruction and operations. The school's academic profile, with strong reading and adequate math results and a selective science data point, suggests a learning environment that is broadly performing above the local average. For a family looking at this school, the central question may be whether its academic strengths, small size, and charter structure align with their values, balanced against the high cost of living in Carbondale and the eventual transition to high school.
See more original research from School Decision →