Summary:
Strasburg School District 31J serves 1,180 students across four schools in the Strasburg, Colorado area: Strasburg Elementary School (PK–5, 544 students), Hemphill Middle School (6–8, 250 students), Strasburg High School (9–12, 364 students), and Prairie Creek High School (9–12, 22 students). The district is ranked 68th out of 115 Colorado districts, placing it in the 41st percentile with a 2-star rating, but that average masks significant differences between schools.
The clear standout is Strasburg High School, ranked in the 57th percentile with 3 stars and improving its state ranking three years in a row. It boasts a 96.1% graduation rate and a 0.7% dropout rate, far better than state averages, and 9th graders score above the state in reading and writing. Strasburg Elementary School is a stable performer, ranking near the 40th percentile with above-district proficiency in both ELA and math, and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (19.0%) in the district. The biggest concern is Hemphill Middle School, which ranks in the 21st percentile with 1 star. Its ELA, math, and science proficiency all declined sharply this year, and 8th-grade math proficiency sits at just 6.8% compared to 37.8% statewide. Prairie Creek High School is a very small alternative school with no ranking data, a lower 76.9% graduation rate, and the highest free/reduced lunch rate (54.6%) in the district.
The most striking trend is a "middle school cliff": math proficiency drops from 35.3% at the elementary level to 15.3% at Hemphill, and middle school science proficiency is less than half the state rate. Chronic absenteeism also climbs sharply by grade level—19.0% in elementary, 33.6% in middle, and 36.4% in high school. Meanwhile, Strasburg High School graduates students at an exceptional rate even though math proficiency remains below state averages. For parents, the clearest takeaways are: the district's strongest asset is its main high school, the elementary school is a dependable option, and the middle school is the area where intervention is most urgently needed.
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