Hayden School District No. Re 1

Hayden School District No. Re 1 is a small Colorado district serving grades PK–12 across three schools on a shared campus at 300 Breeze Basin Blvd., ranking 62nd out of 115 Colorado districts overall. The district includes Hayden Valley Elementary School (PK–5, 232 students), Hayden Middle School (6–8, 93 students), and Hayden High School (9–12, 119 students).

The elementary school is the district's clear academic standout. Hayden Valley Elementary School has improved dramatically, jumping from the 18th to 48th percentile in one year, and now exceeds the state average in math (39.2% vs. 37.3%) while nearly matching it in ELA (43.8% vs. 44.7%). Hayden Middle School presents a mixed picture — it boasts the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at 12.4% and 8th grade science proficiency well above the state (42.3% vs. 35.4%), but its math proficiency is just 9.6% and ELA is 20.0%, far below state averages. Hayden High School shines in graduation (90.9%) and dropout rates (0.7%), and SAT Reading/Writing jumped from 36% to 65% proficiency, now above the state. However, its chronic absenteeism rate of 33.6% is the district's highest.

For parents, a few patterns stand out. Math is the district's biggest weakness overall, especially at the middle school level and in high school PSAT/SAT scores. Science performance is inconsistent across levels, with the middle school excelling while elementary and high school lag. The high school's higher poverty rate (38.7% free/reduced lunch) and high absenteeism may help explain its achievement gaps. This is a district of stark contrasts: the elementary school is improving rapidly, the middle school struggles in core subjects despite strong attendance, and the high school graduates students well but needs to address absenteeism and math. The key opportunity is translating elementary gains into middle school success.