Middle Schools in Gunnison Watershed School District Re1J

Middle Schools in Gunnison Watershed School District Re1J consist of just one school, Gunnison Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with 314 students in a small mountain community. Because there is only one middle school, the analysis centers on how this school compares with district and state averages, as well as its own progress over time.

Gunnison Middle School is ranked 262nd out of 469 Colorado middle schools (44th percentile) with a 2-star rating, which places it below the statewide median. This is notable because the district itself is ranked 31st out of 115 districts (73rd percentile) with 4 stars, highlighting a gap between district reputation and middle school performance. Academically, the school shows mixed results. In 2025–2026, English Language Arts proficiency was 31.7%, well below the district’s 40.5% and the state’s 44.7%. Math proficiency was 28.6%, also below district (36.0%) and state (37.3%) averages, while 8th-grade science was 31.2%, slightly above the district but still below the state. Encouragingly, math proficiency jumped from 20.3% to 28.6% in one year, and 6th-grade math outperformed both district and state averages. However, 8th-grade math is a weakness at just 21.9% proficiency, nearly 16 points behind the state, and 7th-grade ELA also lags significantly.

One of the most pressing concerns is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 37.5% — far above the district’s 25.6% and the state’s 28.4%. This means roughly 118 students are chronically absent, and this likely contributes to the steep decline in ELA proficiency from 40.8% to 31.7%. Nearly 43% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, adding equity challenges. On a positive note, the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 12.8 to 1, and the school’s state percentile has improved from 34 to 44 over three years. Dropout rates appear to be very low or zero. Overall, Gunnison Middle School has strong staffing and recent math momentum, but addressing chronic absenteeism and supporting later-grade math and ELA proficiency are critical next steps for parents to watch.