Summary:
Gunnison Watershed School District Re1J contains two high schools—Gunnison High School (grades 9–12) and Crested Butte Secondary School (grades 6–12)—located in the mountain communities of Gunnison and Crested Butte, Colorado. Although both schools sit within the same small district, their academic profiles differ dramatically, and the district overall earns a strong 4-star rating (73rd percentile statewide).
Crested Butte Secondary School is the clear standout. It ranked as high as 33rd in Colorado (90th percentile) as recently as 2024–25, and even after slipping to 91st in 2025–26, it remains a high performer. Its graduation rate is 94.3%, chronic absenteeism is just 12.2%, and SAT Reading/Writing proficiency is 86%—well above Gunnison’s 69% and the state’s 60%. Crested Butte also posts large advantages on PSAT 10 Math (59% vs. 20%) and PSAT 10 Reading/Writing (88% vs. 65%). Meanwhile, Gunnison High School sits in the low-middle range statewide (35th–42nd percentile) with an 85.0% graduation rate, a 21.8% chronic absenteeism rate, and SAT Math proficiency of only 22%.
The most urgent concern districtwide is math. Even at Crested Butte, SAT Math proficiency (40%) is less than half its Reading/Writing proficiency (86%), while Gunnison falls far below state averages on PSAT 9, PSAT 10, and SAT Math. Crested Butte also appears to serve a more affluent population (16.25% free/reduced lunch) with smaller classes (14.1 students per teacher) than Gunnison (40.24% and 17.9). These factors, along with lower chronic absenteeism and a higher graduation rate, help explain much of the achievement gap. For parents, the key takeaway is that the two schools offer very different academic experiences, with Crested Butte clearly excelling and Gunnison needing targeted support—especially in mathematics—despite beating the state on chronic absenteeism and matching it on dropout rates.
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