Summary:
The city of Pierce, Colorado, is served by a single elementary school, Highland Elementary School, which enrolls 443 students in grades K–5 within the Weld County School District No. Re-9; there are no middle or high schools in the city, so families must look to neighboring communities after 5th grade.
As the only school in Pierce, Highland Elementary faces notable academic challenges. Its state rank has slipped over the past three years, from the 25th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 19th percentile in 2025–2026, earning a 1-star rating. Proficiency rates are well below state averages in every subject: English Language Arts sits at 24.4% proficient versus 44.7% statewide, math at 25.0% versus 37.3%, and 5th-grade science at just 14.3% versus 36.1% statewide. The widest gap appears in 3rd-grade ELA, where only 10% of students are proficient compared to 40.8% statewide. The school's strongest area is 4th-grade ELA at 36.1% proficient, which is relatively closer to the state average (47.0%) than any other subject or grade. Math scores are consistently low across grades 3, 4, and 5 (ranging from 24.0% to 26.2%), suggesting a school-wide challenge rather than a grade-specific issue.
Chronic absenteeism is a concern, with 30.2% of students chronically absent, slightly higher than the district (28.0%) and state (28.4%) rates. About 36.57% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic disadvantage. The district as a whole ranks in the 13th percentile statewide, showing that Highland Elementary is part of a broader regional pattern of low achievement. Despite these hurdles, the relatively stronger 4th-grade ELA results and consistent math performance offer potential starting points for targeted improvement efforts.
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