Swink School District No. 33

Swink School District No. 33 is a small, highly rated Colorado district ranked 13th out of 115 districts in the state (89th percentile) that serves 290 students across just two schools: Swink Elementary School (grades K–5) and Swink Junior-Senior High School (grades 6–12), with no separate middle school.

Swink Elementary School is the district's academic standout in core subjects. Despite 56.49% of its students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the elementary school exceeds state averages in every grade-level CMAS test — 50% proficient in math and 54.7% in ELA versus 37.3% and 44.7% statewide — and climbed to the 71st percentile in 2025–2026. Swink Junior-Senior High School is the standout in science and college readiness: 65% of 11th graders are proficient in science versus just 24.8% statewide, and SAT Reading/Writing proficiency is 80% compared to 60% statewide. The high school also jumped to the 78th percentile and boasts a dropout rate of just 0.6%, far better than the 1.6% state average.

The most notable pattern across the district is a "two-story" performance profile. Elementary math is strong at 50% proficient, but middle-grades math is a clear weak spot — 8th grade CMAS math is only 25% proficient versus 37.8% statewide. Reading and writing is a consistent district-wide strength, with students scoring dramatically higher in literacy than math on every single assessment (SAT, PSAT9, PSAT10, and CMAS). Science is exceptional at every level, from 5th grade through 11th grade. Chronic absenteeism (around 20% at both schools) is better than the 28.4% state average but still means one in five students is missing significant school time. Finally, with only about 25–30 students per grade, year-to-year proficiency swings can be dramatic and should be interpreted cautiously. The single clearest opportunity for improvement is secondary math in grades 6–8.