Best Public Schools in Walsh, CO

Walsh, Colorado is a small rural community served by two public schools—Walsh Elementary School (PK–6) and Walsh High School (7–12)—both part of the Walsh School District No. Re-1, with a combined enrollment of 177 students.

Between the two schools, Walsh Elementary stands out for its stronger attendance and slightly better academic results. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 9.2%, far below the state rate of 28.4%, even though 73.3% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Walsh High School also beats the state on attendance, with a 15.1% chronic absenteeism rate, but it trails the elementary school in most subjects. In 2025–2026, 31.1% of elementary students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared with 28.6% at the high school; math proficiency was 15.6% at the elementary and 14.3% at the high school. Both schools are well below state averages (44.7% in ELA, 37.3% in math), and both saw significant proficiency declines from the prior year. Walsh Elementary’s state ranking improved from the 40th to the 48th percentile between 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, but it remains a middle-of-the-pack school in Colorado.

Walsh High School serves grades 7 through 12, so its data include middle schoolers, making direct comparisons with traditional high schools tricky. Its most recent graduation rate (80.0%, from 2021–2022) is below the state’s current 85.6%, while its dropout rate (1.7%) is right at the state average. Both schools have favorable student–teacher ratios (9.7 at the elementary, 12.7 at the high school) and serve high-poverty populations. The consistent academic struggles across both schools point to district-wide instructional challenges, particularly in math. However, the strong attendance record suggests families are engaged and students are showing up—a solid foundation to build on. More recent high school outcome data would help clarify whether the graduation rate has improved, and targeted academic support is clearly needed to reverse the recent declines.