Summary:
Bayfield School District No. 10Jt-R serves approximately 1,183 students across 4 schools in southwestern Colorado, including two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school spanning grades PK-12. The district ranks 72 out of 115 Colorado districts with a 2-star rating. Bayfield Primary School (PK-2) has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 23.6% (below the state's 28.4%) and the lowest student-teacher ratio at 11.1:1, though it lacks state test scores due to its grade span.
Bayfield Intermediate School (3-5) is the district's strongest academic performer, with all-grades ELA proficiency at 41.9% and math at 31.4%, both above district averages. Its 5th grade ELA of 51.9% exceeds the state average of 49.9%, and it holds the district's best ranking at the 43rd percentile statewide. This is notable because the intermediate school serves a high-poverty population (41.24% free/reduced lunch). By contrast, Bayfield Middle School (6-8) is the weakest-performing school, ranking in the 34th percentile with ELA at 30.5%, math at 24.1%, and 8th grade science at 26.5% — all well below state rates.
The most striking district-wide trend is chronic absenteeism, which rises almost linearly from 23.6% at the primary school to 30.5% at intermediate, 39.8% at middle, and 51.1% at Bayfield High School — nearly double the state average. Bayfield High School shows strong early literacy (73% PSAT10 reading/writing vs. 65% statewide), but SAT reading/writing drops to 47% and SAT math is just 13% proficient. The graduation rate of 85.3% matches the state, suggesting students persist but leave without college-ready skills. With favorable student-teacher ratios (11.1 to 12.4) across all schools, the middle school transition is the clearest intervention point for reversing the district's downward trend.
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