Colorado Online Middle School

Colorado Online Middle School is a public, fully online school serving 211 students in grades 6–8. Although its administrative offices are located in Byers, CO, within the Byers School District No. 32J, students attend from across the state. It is one of three online middle schools operating under the same district, alongside Colorado Virtual Academy Middle School and Astravo Online Academy Middle School. Currently, the school ranks 418th out of 469 Colorado middle schools, placing it in the 11th percentile with a 1-star rating.

Academically, the biggest concern is math: just 6.4% of students are proficient, compared to 20.5% for the district and 37.3% for the state. That is far below Bennett Middle School (13.2%), Hemphill Middle School (15.3%), and Colorado Virtual Academy Middle School (14.9%), though slightly above Astravo Online Academy Middle School (3.4%). English Language Arts proficiency is 17% overall, with 8th graders (21.1%) outperforming 7th graders (14.3%). Science is a relative bright spot: 22.2% of 8th graders are proficient, which beats the district average and every nearby comparison school.

Where the school most stands out is student engagement. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 2.8%, compared to 28.4% statewide and over 30% at Bennett Middle School and Hemphill Middle School, and its dropout rate has been 0% in every year on record. However, with a student–teacher ratio of 63.3:1 (down from 92.5:1 in 2022–2023 but still far higher than nearby brick-and-mortar schools), individual support is likely limited. The combination of strong attendance and low test scores suggests students are consistently logging in but may need more targeted academic intervention, especially in math.