Best Public Schools in Palisade, CO

Palisade, Colorado, is served by two schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51—Taylor Elementary School (PK–5, 310 students) and Palisade High School (9–12, 1,073 students)—together serving about 1,383 students, with no local middle school in the data set, meaning grades 6–8 attend school outside Palisade.

Taylor Elementary School is the academic standout, outperforming district and state averages in both ELA and math for the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 school years, with especially strong 5th grade scores (61.8% ELA vs. 49.9% state in 2025–2026). Its chronic absenteeism rate of 25.7% is well below district and state averages. However, Taylor slipped sharply in 2025–2026, with math proficiency dropping from 54.2% to 39.7% and science from 57.1% to 31.1%, causing its state ranking to fall from the 78th to 55th percentile. Despite this, Taylor remains above district averages in most subjects and serves a student body with 42.6% free/reduced lunch. Meanwhile, Palisade High School shines in graduation rate (90.2% vs. 85.6% state) and math (38% SAT math proficiency in 2024–2025 vs. 32% state), but it struggles with literacy and science—SAT reading/writing sits at 56% vs. 60% state, and 11th grade science proficiency fell to 20.8% in 2025–2026.

The biggest concern is chronic absenteeism at Palisade High School, where 48.8% of students are chronically absent—roughly double the state rate—yet the school still posts a strong graduation rate, suggesting credit recovery or flexible pathways may be masking lost instructional time. Poverty levels are significant at both schools (50.9% free/reduced lunch at Palisade High, 42.6% at Taylor), but outcomes differ, with Taylor outperforming expectations while Palisade High lags in key areas. The lack of a local middle school creates a structural gap, and 9th grade PSAT scores (57% ELA, 37% math) suggest students arrive at the high school below state averages. Taken together, Palisade offers a strong elementary experience and a high school with real strengths in graduation and math, but persistent attendance issues, declining test scores, and the missing middle-school link deserve close attention.