School District No. Re-4 Buffalo

School District No. Re-4 Buffalo is a small, rural Colorado district serving the Merino community through two schools—Merino Elementary School (grades K–6, 159 students) and Merino Junior Senior High School (grades 7–12, 155 students)—located on the same K–12 campus. The district ranks 20th out of 115 Colorado districts (83rd percentile) with a 4-star rating, making it a strong performer despite its small size of just 314 students.

The two schools present contrasting attendance pictures. Chronic absenteeism at Merino Elementary School is just 12.3%, well below the state average of 28.4%, but at Merino Junior Senior High School it jumps to 44.6%—more than 3.6 times higher than the elementary level and 1.6 times the state rate. Because both schools share a campus, this gap points to school-level climate and engagement issues rather than facilities or geography. The high school also serves a slightly more economically disadvantaged population, with 32.26% of students receiving free/reduced lunch versus 26.42% at the elementary school.

Academically, reading and writing is a clear strength in the early high school years: 73% of 9th graders and 76% of 10th graders were proficient in 2025–2026, surpassing state averages of 66% and 65%. Math tells a different story, especially by 11th grade, where only 15% of students were proficient in SAT math versus 32% statewide. Despite the high absenteeism, the high school posts a 92% graduation rate, well above the state's 85.6%, and a dropout rate of just 0.6%. Merino Elementary School has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.4:1 and has shown historical ranking improvement. Overall, the district's biggest challenges are secondary-level attendance and junior-year math performance, while its reading outcomes and graduation success are notable strengths.