Summary:
Durango, Colorado is served by 14 public schools—7 elementary, 3 middle, and 4 high schools—enrolling roughly 4,820 students, with the majority belonging to Durango School District No. 9-R, which ranks in the 76th percentile statewide and earns 4 stars, while two charter schools operate under the State Charter School Institute and one online program falls under San Juan BOCES.
Families have several strong options. Durango High School is the flagship, with a 96.8% graduation rate, 0.9% dropout rate, and strong PSAT scores—78% proficient in reading/writing and 54% in math, well above state averages—though chronic absenteeism (31%) slightly exceeds the state rate. Mountain Middle School is the academic standout, ranking in the 84th percentile with 63.5% ELA and 63.3% math proficiency, plus the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area at just 6.6%, though class sizes are larger (18.8:1). Park Elementary School leads the elementary schools at the 83rd percentile, with math and ELA proficiency about 15-17 points above state averages.
However, challenges exist. Math is a clear weakness at the high school level—Animas High School posts just 13% 10th-grade math proficiency and Durango Big Picture High School sits at the 8th percentile with a 77.8% graduation rate. Florida Mesa Elementary School faces similar struggles at the 38th percentile with 42.6% chronic absenteeism. There are encouraging trends: Needham Elementary School jumped from the 57th to 71st percentile, and Riverview Elementary School improved to the 76th percentile. Upper-elementary math declines across several schools suggest a common transition challenge.
Thank you for your feedback!