Elbert School District No. 200

Elbert School District No. 200 is a small, rural Colorado district with two schools—Elbert Elementary School (PK–5) and Elbert Junior-Senior High School (6–12)—serving a total of 277 students on a single campus.

The two schools are polar opposites academically. Elbert Elementary School is a clear standout, ranking in the 64th percentile statewide and beating the state average in both CMAS ELA (55.4% vs. 44.7%) and math (46.2% vs. 37.3%). Its fifth graders are especially strong, with 77.8% proficiency in ELA and 66.7% in math. In contrast, Elbert Junior-Senior High School ranks only in the 24th percentile and has seen its percentile rank drop from 40th to 24th over three years. Its CMAS proficiency rates are alarmingly low—just 8.8% in ELA and 5.2% in math, far below state averages. Since this school includes grades 6–8, the low scores largely reflect middle schoolers, suggesting a sharp academic decline after students leave the strong elementary program. The high school also lags on SAT and PSAT college-readiness measures, with only 39% proficient in SAT Reading & Writing versus the state's 60%.

Despite these academic struggles, Elbert Junior-Senior High School posts a 96.3% graduation rate and a 0.0% dropout rate—far better than state averages. This disconnect between high graduation and low proficiency may point to completion-focused requirements rather than mastery. Both schools have favorable student-teacher ratios (13.4 at the elementary school, 10.3 at the high school) and chronic absenteeism rates slightly better than the state's 28.4%. However, roughly one in four students is chronically absent at each school. Overall, the district's 52nd-percentile ranking masks a widening divide: Elbert Elementary School is carrying the district's reputation, while the secondary school trends downward—a critical transition point that parents should watch closely.