Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! Colorado test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Mesa Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

798^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Mesa Elementary School serves 359 students in grades K-5 in Cortez, Colorado, within the Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1.

Mesa is a high-poverty school, with 76.6% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and it faces serious academic challenges. In 2025-26, the school ranked in the 15th percentile statewide (1 star), up from the 9th percentile the year before, but it remains one of the lowest-performing elementary schools in the area. Proficiency rates on state tests are far below district and state averages: only 24.2% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and 18.8% in math, compared to state rates of 44.7% and 37.3%. Science is particularly concerning, with 5th-grade scores stuck in single digits for three straight years (7.4% in 2024-25, far below the state's 39%). Math is also a major struggle, especially in 4th grade, where just 8.9% of students were proficient in 2025-26.

There are a few bright spots. Chronic absenteeism improved significantly, dropping from 43.0% to 35.5% in 2024-25, though it remains above the state rate of 28.4%. The student-teacher ratio also improved to 13.4, suggesting smaller class sizes. Female students showed notable gains, jumping to the 35th percentile statewide in 2025-26, while male students remained critically low at the 8th percentile. Compared to nearby Kemper Elementary School, just over a mile away, Mesa trails in both ELA and math, though Kemper has a lower poverty rate (62.5% vs. 76.6%). In contrast, Lewis-Arriola Elementary School, also in the same district, posts dramatically higher scores (75.9% ELA and 68.5% math) but serves a smaller, less impoverished student body. Mesa's 5th graders were a relative bright spot in ELA (40% proficient), but younger grades—especially 3rd and 4th—lag well behind district norms.

Overall, Mesa Elementary faces significant hurdles tied to poverty and attendance, but the improving absenteeism and staffing trends offer a foundation for future growth. Parents should be aware that the school is working to close deep academic gaps, particularly in math, science, and support for male students, while celebrating areas of progress like the stronger recent performance of female students.

359

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,608

Per pupil spending ?

76.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

703 West 7th Street
Cortez, CO 81321-4056

(970) 565-3858

District: Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

Students who attend Mesa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Montezuma-Cortez Middle School
High:	Montezuma-Cortez High School

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

37.3%

White:

29.0%

Hispanic:

22.8%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Mesa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 18th percentile in 2016 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (21% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school21%

District avg24%

Colorado avg41%

798^th of 943

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	798 of 943	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.2	868 of 950	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	812 of 943	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.5	868 of 933	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	869 of 921	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	574 of 710	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	694 of 965	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	704 of 917	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.3	665 of 929	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.1	753 of 914	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.2	660 of 938	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	17.3	813 of 962	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.5	800 of 954	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.1	776 of 935	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.5	804 of 935	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	26.2	718 of 925	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	21.5	708 of 872	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	14.8	742 of 849	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	17.7	721 of 852	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	25.4	653 of 829	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	34.4	581 of 823	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	26.1	628 of 808	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	32.1	451 of 692	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	12.2	620 of 694	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	632 of 684	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.3	633 of 642	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.4	581 of 595	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.3	567 of 758	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	551 of 690	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	240 of 337	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	10.7	641 of 694	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.9	689 of 700	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.3	644 of 683	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.2	613 of 649	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.9	567 of 594	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.7	586 of 764	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.9	567 of 693	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	14.2	492 of 539	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.5	507 of 525	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.9	381 of 596	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2026)35th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)29th percentile+20 vs school

White (2024)9th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)8th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts24%-20 vs state

Math19%-18 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Mesa Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Mesa Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Mesa Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CMAS English Language Arts (2026)				CMAS Math (2026)				CMAS Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Mesa Elementary School	Public	K-5	703 West 7th Street	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3858	359	27	13.4	76.6%	104 (29.0%)	1 (0.3%)	82 (22.8%)	3 (0.8%)	134 (37.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.7%)	16	798^th of 943 public elementary schools	15.4%		11.2	868^th of 950 public elementary schools	8.6%	70	12.2	17.8	40.0	24.2	20.4	8.9	25.5	18.8		$15,608
Kemper Elementary School	Public	K-5	620 East Montezuma	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3737	339	24	13.9	62.5%	177 (52.2%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (22.1%)	3 (0.9%)	66 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.3%)	27.2	653^rd of 943 public elementary schools	30.8%		19.1	751^st of 950 public elementary schools	20.9%	98		37.5		29.1	19.4	31.7	27.1	27.2	22.0	$15,893
Children's Kiva Montessori School	Public, Charter	K-8	601 North Mildred	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 564-9377	130	9	14.0	65.4%	68 (52.3%)	1 (0.8%)	24 (18.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (20.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (7.7%)								(n/a)		42.1								$13,156
Lewis-Arriola Elementary School	Public	K-5	21434 Road U	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 882-4494	125	8	15.6	40.8%	96 (76.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.2%)								(n/a)			64.0	75.9				68.5	72.0	$17,099
Dolores Elementary School	Public	K-5	12th And Hillside	Dolores	81323	Montezuma County	Dolores School District No. Re-4A	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 882-4688	245	18	13.8	53.9%	186 (75.9%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.5%)	32	596^th of 943 public elementary schools	36.8%		37.2	553^rd of 950 public elementary schools	41.8%	43	35.5	43.8	22.7	32.7	38.7	37.5	25.0	32.7	26.7	$14,053
Kwiyagat Community Academy	Public, Charter	K-4	450 Sunset Blvd	Towaoc	81334	Montezuma County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 564-5348	61	4	14.0	100.0%	1 (1.6%)	2 (3.3%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$31,491
Battle Rock Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	11247 County Road G	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3237	88	6	14.2	51.1%	44 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (11.4%)								(n/a)										$14,708
Mancos Elementary School	Public	K-5	301 Grand Avenue	Mancos	81328	Montezuma County	Mancos School District Re-6	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 533-7744	217	18	12.3	37.8%	168 (77.4%)	2 (0.9%)	25 (11.5%)	1 (0.5%)	14 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)								(n/a)										$17,171
Pleasant View Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	15238 County Road Cc	Pleasant View	81331	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 562-4286	35	3	11.7	54.3%	32 (91.4%)	1 (2.9%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)								(n/a)										$11,670

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesa Elementary School

How many students attend Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 359 students attended Mesa Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Mesa Elementary School?

Students at Mesa Elementary School are 37% American Indian, 29% White, 23% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Mesa Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Mesa Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Montezuma-Cortez Middle School
High : Montezuma-Cortez High School

Is Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Mesa Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.4% of Colorado elementary schools.

What district is Mesa Elementary School in?

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

Rate Mesa Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Elementary School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Cortez, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Mesa Elementary School!

Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresNewAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.