Summary:
Cortez, a small city in southwestern Colorado, is served by 8 schools in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1, enrolling roughly 2,275 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades. The district faces serious systemic challenges, with about two-thirds of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate near 39% — well above the state average of 28.4%.
Lewis-Arriola Elementary is the clear standout, ranking in the 93rd percentile statewide and far outperforming the district in CMAS testing — with 75.9% ELA proficiency versus the district's 26.6%, and 68.5% math proficiency versus just 21.1% district-wide. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 23.1%. At the other extreme, Southwest Open Charter School has a 34.3% graduation rate, a 78.6% chronic absenteeism rate, and a dropout rate nearly five times the state average. Meanwhile, Montezuma-Cortez High School stands out positively with an 87.0% graduation rate that exceeds the state rate despite its large enrollment and high student-teacher ratio.
Mesa Elementary has ranked in the bottom 15% of Colorado elementary schools for three consecutive years, with some grade-level proficiency rates as low as 7–9%. Montezuma-Cortez Middle School is also concerning, with just 17.4% math proficiency and 20.9% ELA proficiency. Battle Rock Charter struggles with a 55.1% chronic absenteeism rate and has no state ranking available. Poverty correlates with performance but does not fully explain it — Kemper Elementary and Children's Kiva Montessori outperform the district despite high poverty rates. The biggest district-wide opportunity lies in reducing chronic absenteeism and understanding how Lewis-Arriola's success can be replicated across other schools.
Thank you for your feedback!