Best Public Schools in Kremmling, CO

Kremmling, Colorado is served by two public schools within the West Grand School District No. 1 — West Grand Elementary and Middle School (grades K–8, 262 students) and West Grand High School (grades 9–12, 123 students) — a small, rural district ranked in the bottom 11% of Colorado districts with a 1-star rating.

The two schools present very different academic profiles. West Grand Elementary and Middle School shows a dramatic grade-level pattern in English Language Arts: 3rd grade proficiency sits at just 10.3% versus the state’s 40.8%, but 5th and 6th graders actually match or beat the state average (50% vs. 49.9% and 43.8% vs. 41.6%). The school’s overall math proficiency is a low 13.9%, yet it improved its state ranking from the 11th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 30th percentile in 2025–2026. In contrast, West Grand High School has a severe literacy/math divide: on the SAT, 41% of 11th graders are proficient in reading and writing versus just 9% in math (state averages are 60% and 32%). The high school also slipped from the 30th to the 18th percentile and has a strikingly high chronic absenteeism rate of 46.2% — nearly double the state’s 28.4% and far above the elementary school’s 25.7%.

Both schools serve similar socioeconomic populations, with about 42% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and both enjoy small class sizes (12.5:1 at the elementary, 10.5:1 at the high school). Yet small classes haven’t translated into strong results. The high school’s graduation rate of 82.5% trails the state’s 85.6%, and its dropout rate is elevated. The elementary school is the brighter spot, showing upward momentum, but early literacy and math remain urgent concerns across the district. For parents, the key takeaways are clear: the high school needs major attention in math and attendance, while the elementary school shows promise in upper-grade reading but struggles with early literacy. Overall, both schools face real challenges, but the elementary school is showing the most encouraging signs of improvement.