Best Public Schools in Fort Morgan, CO

Fort Morgan, Colorado is served by eight schools in the School District No. Re-3 Fort Morgan, spanning early childhood through high school and enrolling roughly 3,451 students. The district ranks in the 5th percentile of Colorado districts — the bottom 5% — and every school serves a predominantly low-income population, with free/reduced-price lunch rates ranging from 50.3% at Fort Morgan High School to 74.9% at Pioneer Elementary School.

Columbine Elementary School is the district's clear standout, ranking in the 31st percentile of Colorado elementary schools with the best CMAS ELA (32.5%) and math (26.3%) proficiency as well as the lowest chronic absenteeism at 15.2%. Fort Morgan High School is also a relative bright spot, graduating 83.7% of students and posting SAT reading/writing proficiency of 43%, above the district average though below the state's 62%. At the other end, Lincoln High School is deeply concerning: despite just 43 students and an 8.3:1 student-teacher ratio, it graduates only 41.7% of students, has an 11.5% dropout rate, and 74.5% chronic absenteeism. Baker Elementary School and Pioneer Elementary School also struggle, ranking in the 7th and 11th percentiles respectively, with Pioneer posting the district's lowest elementary ELA proficiency at 18.8%.

Math is the district's biggest academic weakness. Fort Morgan Middle School posts just 15.0% math proficiency versus 37.3% statewide, and Baker is at 12.3%. Chronic absenteeism splits sharply by school level: the four grade 1-5 elementary schools range from 15.2% to 22.3%, while the middle school, early childhood center, and comprehensive high school all sit around 31-32%. Poverty and attendance track closely with achievement, while smaller class sizes — like Lincoln's 8.3:1 ratio — do not appear to overcome those challenges. Green Acres Elementary School and Sherman Early Childhood Center fall in the middle. For parents, Columbine Elementary School and Fort Morgan High School are the strongest options in a district facing significant academic, attendance, and socioeconomic hurdles.