Best Public Schools in Otis, CO

Otis, Colorado is served by five small public schools across two districts: the Otis School District No. R-3 includes Otis Elementary School (grades PK–5, 90 students) and Otis Junior-Senior High School (grades 6–12, 102 students), while the Lone Star School District No. 101 includes Lone Star Elementary School (grades K–6, 56 students), Lone Star Middle School (grades 7–8, 19 students), and Lone Star Undivided High School (grades 9–12, 44 students). With just 311 students total and student-teacher ratios between 8.6 and 14.4, class sizes are very small and individualized attention is possible.

The most encouraging trend is at Otis Junior-Senior High School, which has improved its state ranking from the 29th percentile in 2022–23 to the 61st percentile in 2024–25, a 32-point jump in just two years, even as its math and reading proficiency remains below state averages. By contrast, Lone Star Undivided High School has declined from the 63rd percentile in 2018–19 to the 24th percentile in 2025–26, with SAT reading/writing proficiency at 38% versus the state's 60%. Otis Elementary School earned a 5-star rating and 92nd-percentile rank back in 2013–14 but lacks recent ranking data, and its CMAS scores fell in both subjects from 2024–25 to 2025–26.

Attendance is the starkest differentiator between the two districts. The Otis School District No. R-3 reported a 66.8% chronic absenteeism rate, driven by a likely anomalous 100.0% figure at Otis Junior-Senior High School, while the Lone Star School District No. 101 reported just 5.7%. Poverty is common across the area, with free/reduced lunch eligibility ranging from 35.7% at Lone Star Elementary School to 56.8% at Lone Star Undivided High School. No school in Otis approaches state math proficiency, and both districts have meaningful data gaps for their elementary and middle schools. On balance, Otis schools offer small, supportive environments, but families should weigh the academic challenges alongside the notable improvement at Otis Junior-Senior High and the strong attendance record in the Lone Star district.