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Florida Mesa Elementary School

Q: Is Florida Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Florida Mesa Elementary School ranks 581 st of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

581^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Florida Mesa Elementary School is a PK-5 school in Durango, CO, serving 293 students as part of the Durango School District No. 9-R, a top-30 district in Colorado. Despite that strong district context, Florida Mesa itself holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the 38th percentile statewide — the lowest among Durango elementary schools with recent rankings. Nearby Park Elementary (83rd percentile), Riverview Elementary (76th), and Needham Elementary (71st) all far outperform it.

Academically, the defining pattern is a sharp decline in upper elementary. Third graders arrive performing at or above state averages in reading (55% proficient vs. 40.8% statewide) and math (42.5% vs. 41.5%). But by 5th grade, math proficiency collapses to 17.6%, and 5th-grade science proficiency is an extraordinary outlier at just 11.8% — far below the state average of 36.1% and even below Ignacio Elementary's 26.2%. English Language Arts is the relative strength, with overall proficiency of 42.6% versus the state's 44.7%, though 4th grade dips to 26.8%. A low student-teacher ratio of 10.3 has not translated into higher outcomes.

The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism: 42.6% of students were chronically absent in 2024-2025, more than double the rates at Animas Valley Elementary (20.5%) and Riverview (20.3%), and 14 points above the state average. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch has climbed from 42.5% to 52.6% in just two years. On a positive note, Florida Mesa's low-income students perform at the 44th percentile among low-SES students statewide, suggesting real strength in serving economically disadvantaged families. Addressing attendance and the upper-elementary slide in math and science appear to be the most urgent priorities.

293

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,477

Per pupil spending ?

52.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

90.2%

Kindergartners fully immunized against measles (MMR) (2025-26)

Exemptions: 9.8% (MMR)

216 Highway 172
Durango, CO 81303-8295

(970) 247-4250

District: Durango School District No. 9-R

Students who attend Florida Mesa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Escalante Middle School
High:	Durango High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.0%

Hispanic:

27.6%

American Indian:

9.2%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Florida Mesa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2016 → 39th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (32% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 28% Colorado)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg46%

Colorado avg41%

581^st of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Durango School District No. 9-R

27^th of 114Durango School District No. 9-R 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
2026	34.2	581 of 946	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.5	566 of 950	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.2	602 of 943	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.2	490 of 933	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.5	475 of 921	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.0	551 of 710	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.1	542 of 965	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	15.1	791 of 917	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.3	596 of 929	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.6	516 of 914	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	37.4	548 of 938	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.2	647 of 962	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	25.6	743 of 954	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	25.1	729 of 935	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	35.7	644 of 935	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	35.4	642 of 925	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	43.9	544 of 872	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	58.5	391 of 849	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.1	349 of 852	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.9	381 of 829	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	81.2	118 of 823	85.7%	★★★★☆
2004	74.9	201 of 808	75.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	438 of 694	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.1	467 of 642	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.8	430 of 758	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	12.5	637 of 690	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	42.0	190 of 337	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.0	228 of 332	31.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	40.1	393 of 700	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.5	317 of 649	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.0	383 of 764	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	15.0	606 of 693	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	49.5	298 of 596	50.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2019)50th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)44th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)44th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)37th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts43%~ state avg

Math28%-9 vs state

Science12%-24 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

This school is a great school caring staff. Close Quote

Schools Near Florida Mesa Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CMAS English Language Arts (2026)							CMAS Math (2026)							CMAS Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners fully immunized against measles (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Florida Mesa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	216 Highway 172	Durango	81303	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-4250	293	28	10.3	52.6%	164 (56.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (27.6%)	3 (1.0%)	27 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)	34.2	581^st of 946 public elementary schools	38.6%		35.5	566^th of 950 public elementary schools	40.4%	15	55.0	26.8	47.1				42.6	42.5	23.3	17.6				28.2	11.8		90.2%	9.8%	$21,477
The Juniper School	Public, Charter	K-8	225 Sawyer Dr	Durango	81302	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 764-4185	171	12	14.4	38.6%	136 (79.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (16.4%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.9%)	62.4	331^st of 946 public elementary schools	65.0%		60.1	356^th of 950 public elementary schools	62.5%	25	47.8	56.3	50.0				45.3	43.5	62.5	40.9				38.3	45.5		81.8%	13.6%	$13,921
Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	510 E. 6th Ave.	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-3718	452	36	12.7	38.9%	256 (56.6%)	1 (0.2%)	110 (24.3%)	7 (1.5%)	38 (8.4%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.2%)	82.8	156^th of 946 public elementary schools	83.5%		79.7	176^th of 950 public elementary schools	81.5%	20	62.3	58.2	64.4				61.9	61.3	60.0	65.8				62.6	55.4		93.8%	4.2%	$19,787
Riverview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 Mesa Avenue	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	No	(970) 247-3862	374	31	12.0	30.5%	279 (74.6%)	1 (0.3%)	48 (12.8%)	2 (0.5%)	16 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (7.2%)	73	231^st of 946 public elementary schools	75.6%		79.3	185^th of 950 public elementary schools	80.5%	46	63.2	61.5	63.2				62.7	69.1	43.1	38.9				49.4	50.7		87.8%	12.2%	$19,623
Needham Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2425 West Third Avenue	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-4791	367	32	11.5	42.2%	242 (65.9%)	3 (0.8%)	73 (19.9%)	2 (0.5%)	18 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.9%)	69.4	271^st of 946 public elementary schools	71.4%		48	463^rd of 950 public elementary schools	51.3%	192	63.8	40.0	69.1				57.9	60.4	32.0	54.5				49.0	52.7		85.4%	12.5%	$19,117
Mountain Middle School	Public, Charter	K-8	108 West 31st Street	Durango	81301	La Plata County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 828-5600	302	16	18.8	—	262 (86.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	87.7	101^st of 946 public elementary schools	89.3%		89.6	76^th of 950 public elementary schools	92.0%	25		61.7	73.7	54.7	59.2	68.1	63.5		70.0	72.4	58.5	35.3	79.2	63.3	69.0	54.2			$14,022
Sunnyside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	75 Cr 218	Durango	81303	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 259-5249	107	11	9.8	50.5%	67 (62.6%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (29.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	1 (0.9%)	5 (4.7%)								(n/a)							46.9							25.0			94.1%	5.9%	$25,867
Bayfield Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	511 East Mustang Lane	Bayfield	81122	La Plata County	Bayfield School District No. 10Jt-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 884-0881	222	20	11.1	42.8%	154 (69.4%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (22.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)	1 (0.5%)	11 (5.0%)								(n/a)																			$00
Bayfield Intermediate School	Public	3-5	720 E Oak	Bayfield	81122	La Plata County	Bayfield School District No. 10Jt-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 884-9571	274	23	11.7	41.2%	195 (71.2%)	1 (0.4%)	52 (19.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.1%)	38.1	540^th of 946 public elementary schools	42.9%		47.4	468^th of 950 public elementary schools	50.7%	72	27.0	45.9	51.9				41.9	25.7	29.1	39.2				31.4	30.4				$00
Ignacio Elementary School	Public	K-5	85 County Road 320	Ignacio	81137	La Plata County	Ignacio School District No. 11Jt	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 563-0650	279	25	11.2	55.6%	78 (28.0%)	0 (0.0%)	108 (38.7%)	3 (1.1%)	79 (28.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.9%)	15.5	806^th of 946 public elementary schools	14.8%		17.9	769^th of 950 public elementary schools	19.1%	37	18.6	14.9	28.6				20.5	20.9	714.0	715.0				11.4	26.2				$24,824

Frequently Asked Questions about Florida Mesa Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Florida Mesa Elementary School?

Students at Florida Mesa Elementary School are 56% White, 28% Hispanic, 9% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Florida Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 293 students attended Florida Mesa Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Florida Mesa Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Escalante Middle School
High : Durango High School

Is Florida Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Florida Mesa Elementary School ranks 581^st of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Florida Mesa Elementary School in?

Durango School District No. 9-R

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance dataOct 6, 2026

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

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

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.