The Best Private Schools in Jamestown, Colorado
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Jamestown. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
Dawson School
Independent School
Dawson School is a highly-regarded independent day school serving students from preschool through 12th grade. Located approximately 20 miles from Jamestown, it offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum with small class sizes and personalized attention. The school features state-of-the-art facilities including science laboratories, performing arts centers, and athletic complexes. Dawson emphasizes character education alongside academic excellence, with a strong focus on developing leadership skills and community engagement. The school maintains a 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio and offers extensive extracurricular programs including competitive athletics, robotics, and outdoor education.
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Friends School
Independent School
Friends School in Boulder is a progressive independent school serving students from preschool through 8th grade, with many families commuting from mountain communities like Jamestown. The school follows a Quaker-inspired educational philosophy that emphasizes inquiry-based learning, social responsibility, and peaceful conflict resolution. The curriculum integrates outdoor education with strong academic foundations in literacy, mathematics, and sciences. Friends School features extensive outdoor learning spaces, gardens, and utilizes Boulder's natural environment as an extension of the classroom. The school is known for its strong community feel and focus on developing the whole child through arts, music, and physical education programs.
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Alexander Dawson School
Independent School
Alexander Dawson School (now part of Dawson School) has served the Boulder County area for five decades, providing education from early childhood through high school. The school offers a comprehensive college preparatory program with advanced placement courses and extensive electives. Dawson emphasizes global citizenship and sustainability education, with programs that include international travel opportunities and environmental stewardship projects. The campus features modern academic buildings, athletic facilities, and dedicated spaces for visual and performing arts. The school maintains strong college counseling services and has a track record of graduates attending selective colleges and universities. Many mountain community families choose Dawson for its balanced approach to academics, arts, and athletics.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Jamestown, Colorado
What are the primary private school options serving families in Jamestown, Colorado, and what are their key characteristics?
While Jamestown itself is a small mountain community, it is within reasonable commuting distance to several highly-regarded private schools in Boulder County. The most prominent are The Dawson School (a K-12 independent, college-preparatory school in Lafayette), Friends School Boulder (a PreK-8 Quaker-based school in Boulder), and Alexander Dawson School (now known solely as The Dawson School). For Jamestown residents, these schools offer a blend of rigorous academics and outdoor/experiential education that aligns with the local mountain lifestyle. Transportation and commute times, especially in winter, are significant factors for Jamestown families considering these options.
How does the tuition for private schools near Jamestown, CO, compare to state averages, and what financial aid options are available?
Tuition for the top private schools in the Boulder County area accessible to Jamestown families is typically above the Colorado state average for private education, reflecting their high caliber and location. For the 2024-2025 academic year, expect K-12 tuition to range from approximately $30,000 to $40,000 annually. Importantly, these schools are committed to socioeconomic diversity and offer robust need-based financial aid programs. Many Colorado residents also utilize the state's K-12 Education Tax Credit for donations to scholarship organizations, which can indirectly support private school access. It's crucial to inquire directly with each school's admissions office about their specific aid process and deadlines.
What unique academic or extracurricular programs do private schools near Jamestown offer that leverage the Colorado environment?
Schools like The Dawson School explicitly integrate Colorado's natural landscape into their curriculum, a major draw for families in outdoor-oriented communities like Jamestown. These programs often include extensive outdoor education trips, environmental science studies focused on local ecosystems, and sustainability initiatives. Many also have strong arts and robotics programs. This combination of rigorous college-prep academics with a holistic, experiential approach—often including skiing, hiking, and environmental stewardship—is a defining feature of the private school options available to Jamestown residents.
What is the enrollment timeline and process like for private schools near Jamestown, and how early should parents apply?
The admissions process for competitive Boulder-area private schools is typically lengthy and begins well in advance. For entry in the fall, the main application deadline is often in January, with assessments, interviews, and school visits occurring in the preceding winter months. For the most sought-after grades (like Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th), it is advisable to start researching and visiting schools 12-18 months prior to the desired enrollment date. Jamestown parents should factor in additional time for campus visits, which require a commute to Lafayette or Boulder. Many schools also host open houses in the autumn.
For a Jamestown family, what are the key considerations when choosing between the local public school (Jamestown Elementary) and a private school in the Boulder area?
This decision hinges on several location-specific factors. Jamestown Elementary is a small, close-knit K-5 public school deeply integrated into the community, offering a convenient, no-tuition option with small class sizes. The trade-off is that after 5th grade, students must transition to a public middle/high school in a different town (like Boulder Valley School District), involving a bus commute. Private schools offer a continuous K-12 pathway, often with more extensive facilities, language programs, and college counseling, but require a significant financial investment and a daily commute down the mountain canyon. The choice often comes down to prioritizing community proximity and cost versus a specific educational philosophy and seamless long-term academic pathway.
Private Education Insights
Finding the Right Private Special Education School in Jamestown, Colorado: A Parent's Guide
For parents in Jamestown, Colorado, the search for the right educational environment for a child with unique learning needs can feel both urgent and deeply personal. When you type “private special education schools near me” into a search engine, you’re looking for more than just a list; you’re seeking a community, a specialized approach, and a path forward for your child. In our beautiful foothills community, this search comes with its own set of local considerations and opportunities. While Jamestown itself is a small, tight-knit mountain town, your search will naturally extend into the broader Boulder County area, where several exceptional private institutions offer specialized support within a mainstream or uniquely tailored setting.
It’s important to understand the landscape. Jamestown families are often looking at schools in nearby Lafayette, Boulder, and Longmont. A school like The Dawson School, while not exclusively a special education school, is renowned for its learning support services and its commitment to differentiating instruction for diverse learners. Their approach is integrated, meaning support is woven into the fabric of the school day, which can be ideal for students who benefit from a challenging college-preparatory curriculum but require accommodations or specialized strategies. Similarly, the Friends School in Boulder emphasizes social-emotional learning and individualized attention in small classroom settings, creating an environment where neurodiverse students often thrive. These schools represent a model where robust learning support teams work within a traditional independent school framework.
However, for some children, a school dedicated specifically to students with learning differences may be the most appropriate fit. Here, your “near me” search may lead you a bit farther from Jamestown, but to invaluable resources. Schools like the Summit View Academy in Longmont or the Boulder County campus of the Denver Academy, which has a strong reputation, are designed specifically for students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other language-based learning differences. These institutions use research-based, multisensory curricula and have expertise that is their central mission. The commute from Jamestown is a real factor for daily life, but for many families, the specialized programming is well worth the journey.
As a Jamestown parent, your local context is crucial. Our rural setting means building a strong partnership with any school is essential. Open communication about transportation, your child’s need for a calm environment after a longer commute, and how the school handles snow days becomes part of the conversation. We recommend starting with a clear assessment of your child’s specific needs from an educational psychologist. Armed with that understanding, you can better evaluate whether a mainstream private school with strong support, like Alexander Dawson or Friends, or a dedicated special education school is the right match. Visit, ask detailed questions about student-to-teacher ratios, therapeutic supports, and their experience with your child’s specific profile. Remember, the right “near me” solution is the one that feels like a true extension of your family’s support system, even if it’s a scenic drive down the canyon into the wider Boulder County community. Your search is the first step toward finding a place where your child is not only understood but is also empowered to succeed.