Summary:
Durango School District No. 9-R serves about 4,337 students across 12 schools in southwestern Colorado, including eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. The district overall earns a 4-star rating (28th out of 115 Colorado districts), with performance well above state averages in ELA but more uneven in math. Durango High School stands out as the flagship school: its 96.8% graduation rate and 78% PSAT reading/writing proficiency far exceed state averages, and it ranks in the 77th percentile among Colorado high schools. Among elementary schools, Park Elementary School is the academic leader, with 62.6% math proficiency and 61.9% ELA proficiency, ranking in the 83rd percentile.
Several schools show strong improvement. Riverview Elementary School jumped from the 63rd to 81st percentile over two years and now has the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism rate (20.3%). Needham Elementary School also rose from 51st to 71st percentile, with a notable leap in math proficiency. On the other hand, Durango Big Picture High School has fallen to the 8th percentile, with a 77.8% graduation rate and 40.8% chronic absenteeism. Florida Mesa Elementary School ranks in the 38th percentile, with just 28.2% math proficiency and the highest chronic absenteeism in the district (42.6%).
Across the district, chronic absenteeism (29.3%) is a major concern, and math is the weak subject—schools like Sunnyside Elementary School (25% math) and Miller Middle School (33.6% math) lag state averages. Achievement closely tracks poverty and attendance, but not always: Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School has 50.9% free/reduced lunch yet achieves 45% proficiency in both math and ELA. The district has clear bright spots—Escalante Middle School, Animas Valley Elementary School, and The Juniper School all sit at or above state averages—making the overall picture one of a strong district with concentrated challenges around attendance, math support, and alternative education.
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