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Montezuma-Cortez High School

Public Grades 9-12

Summary

Montezuma-Cortez High School is a public high school in Cortez, Colorado, serving 601 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1, which is ranked 99 out of 115 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Montezuma-Cortez High School stands out for its significantly higher percentage of Native American students (27.95%) compared to nearby schools like Mancos High School (8.33%) and Dolores Secondary School (4.65%), reflecting the school's location in an area with a larger Native American population. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, lags behind the state and nearby schools, with only 13.4% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in CMAS/Science, compared to the state average of 24.6%. Additionally, Montezuma-Cortez High School has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (50.08%) compared to the nearby schools.

While Montezuma-Cortez High School and Southwest Open Charter School are both part of the Montezuma-Cortez School District, they have notable differences. Southwest Open Charter School has a lower student-teacher ratio, a higher percentage of white students, and lower academic performance compared to Montezuma-Cortez High School. The school's declining statewide ranking, from 220 out of 327 Colorado high schools in 2009-2010 to 275 out of 349 in 2022-2023, suggests that the school's performance has not kept pace with other schools in the state. These insights highlight the unique challenges and opportunities for improvement at Montezuma-Cortez High School.

598

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,761

Per pupil spending ?

57.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

418 South Sligo Street
Cortez, CO 81321-4124

(970) 565-3722

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

Feeder schools for Montezuma-Cortez High School:

Elementary:	Kemper Elementary School
	Lewis-Arriola Elementary School
	Mesa Elementary School
	Pleasant View Charter School
Middle:	Montezuma-Cortez Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.8%

Hispanic:

22.2%

American Indian:

21.9%

See top rated Colorado public schools

Compare Montezuma-Cortez High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 23rd percentile in 2009 → 21st in 2023

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (46% vs 65% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2023-2024) ?

This school46%

District avg45%

Colorado avg65%

Not ranked this year

Montezuma-Cortez High School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

68^th of 115Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 among Colorado districts

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
2023	20.6	275 of 349	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.8	283 of 411	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.0	273 of 388	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	21.6	230 of 292	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	38.5	241 of 369	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.6	246 of 349	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.0	224 of 334	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	30.0	245 of 337	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	37.9	220 of 327	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	27.1	240 of 310	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.6	216 of 301	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	28.3	229 of 298	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.8	202 of 286	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	25.2	220 of 280	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	22.3	229 of 279	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	6.5	131 of 140	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2024)6th percentile

★

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Schools Near Montezuma-Cortez High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2025)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2025)	SAT Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	CMAS Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Montezuma-Cortez High School	Public	9-12	418 South Sligo Street	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 565-3722	598	29	20.9	57.5%	286 (47.8%)	2 (0.3%)	133 (22.2%)	8 (1.3%)	131 (21.9%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.4%)								(n/a)								$15,761
Southwest Open Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	401 North Dolores Road	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 565-1150	131	10	12.5	79.4%	61 (46.6%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (19.8%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (28.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.3%)								(n/a)								$14,160
Dolores High School	Public	9-12	1301 Central Avenue	Dolores	81323	Montezuma County	Dolores School District No. Re-4A	No	No	No	No	(970) 882-7288	186	16	11.5	48.4%	146 (78.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	46.5	166^th of 328 public high schools	49.4%		39.1	201^st of 349 public high schools	42.4%	35	63.0	22.0	72.0	30.0	59.0	27.0	37.8	$17,112
Mancos High School	Public	9-12	355 West Grand Avenue	Mancos	81328	Montezuma County	Mancos School District Re-6	No	No	No	No	(970) 533-7746	142	9	15.0	29.6%	108 (76.1%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (16.2%)	1 (0.7%)	8 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	23.9	251^st of 328 public high schools	23.5%		34.3	223^rd of 349 public high schools	36.1%	28	56.0	12.0	52.0	24.0	50.0	12.0		$16,606

Frequently Asked Questions about Montezuma-Cortez High School

What is the racial makeup of Montezuma-Cortez High School?

Students at Montezuma-Cortez High School are 48% White, 22% Hispanic, 22% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Montezuma-Cortez High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 598 students attended Montezuma-Cortez High School.

What schools feed into Montezuma-Cortez High School?

Montezuma-Cortez High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Kemper Elementary School
Elementary : Lewis-Arriola Elementary School
Elementary : Mesa Elementary School
Elementary : Pleasant View Charter School
Middle : Montezuma-Cortez Middle School

What district is Montezuma-Cortez High School in?

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

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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.