Summary:
Nucla, Colorado is served by two public schools—Nucla High School (grades 9–12) and Nucla Middle School (grades 7–8)—both part of the West End School District No. Re-2. Combined, they serve just 99 students in this small, rural community. The district overall ranks 67th out of 115 Colorado districts, placing it at the 42nd percentile with a 2-star rating.
Between the two schools, Nucla Middle School is the stronger academic performer, ranking 207th out of 469 Colorado middle schools (56th percentile) with a 3-star rating, compared to Nucla High School's 242nd out of 338 high schools (28th percentile). The middle school's 8th grade math proficiency is a standout at 50%, well above the state average of 37.8%, while the high school posts a solid 87.5% graduation rate and 72% proficiency on 10th grade reading/writing. However, the high school struggles significantly with SAT math and science proficiency, both at just 19%, and its overall test scores lag the state in most areas.
Both schools face a serious chronic absenteeism challenge, with rates of 57.8% at the high school and 48.7% at the middle school, compared to the state rate of 28.4%. The high school's dropout rate of 4.5% is nearly three times the state average of 1.6%, despite a graduation rate that is slightly above the state average. Free/reduced lunch eligibility is high and nearly identical across both schools at roughly 58–59%, reflecting a majority low-income student population. Interestingly, the high school has a much lower student-teacher ratio (8.2) than the middle school (17.3), yet still performs worse on many measures—a sign that attendance and engagement, not class size, are driving outcomes. The most urgent areas for targeted support are reducing absenteeism, improving STEM achievement at the high school, and addressing the apparent weakness in 7th grade math that drags down the middle school's overall score.
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