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Florida Mesa Elementary School

Q: Is Florida Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Florida Mesa Elementary School ranks 566 th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

566^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Florida Mesa Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 286 students in grades PK-5 in Durango, Colorado. The school is part of the Durango School District No. 9-R, which is ranked 34 out of 115 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

However, Florida Mesa Elementary School faces several challenges. The school has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 27.6% to 42.2% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school's test scores are generally lower than the Durango School District and the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 34.5% of students were proficient or better in CMAS/English Language Arts, compared to 50.6% for the Durango School District and 44.8% for the state. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 50.35% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year.

When comparing Florida Mesa Elementary School to other nearby schools within the Durango School District, it performs significantly worse on most metrics. For instance, Riverview Elementary School and Park Elementary School have much higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates. Additionally, Florida Mesa Elementary School's performance on certain subgroups, such as female students and low socioeconomic status students, is particularly concerning, as the school ranks in the bottom half of Colorado elementary schools for these subgroups. Over the past several years, the school's statewide ranking has been steadily declining, suggesting that it is not making significant progress in improving student outcomes.

293

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,091

Per pupil spending ?

52.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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: Holding steady — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 40th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (34% vs 40% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (43% vs 28% Colorado)

!English Language Arts scores 10 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg45%

Colorado avg40%

566^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

34^th of 115Durango 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
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 (2024-2025) ?

Science43%+4 vs state

English Language Arts34%-10 vs state

Math29%-7 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

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CMAS English Language Arts (2025)					CMAS Math (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	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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	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%)	35.5	566^th of 950 public elementary schools	40.4%		31.2	602^nd of 943 public elementary schools	36.2%	36	29.8	32.4	39.7		34.5	23.9	14.3	41.4	28.8	42.9	$20,091
The Juniper School	Public, Charter	K-8	225 Sawyer Dr	Durango	81303	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%)	60.1	356^th of 950 public elementary schools	62.5%		63.7	331^st of 943 public elementary schools	64.9%	25	73.9	41.2	52.9	31.3	50.0	56.5	23.5	35.3	32.6	64.7	$13,249
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%)	79.7	176^th of 950 public elementary schools	81.5%		78.8	177^th of 943 public elementary schools	81.2%	1	57.6	61.8	60.3		60.1	58.3	55.8	58.7	57.5	55.6	$16,275
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%)	79.3	185^th of 950 public elementary schools	80.5%		61.1	351^st of 943 public elementary schools	62.8%	166	60.3	66.2	64.0		63.5	69.8	48.5	44.9	55.0	56.3	$17,222
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%)	48	463^rd of 950 public elementary schools	51.3%		55.1	402^nd of 943 public elementary schools	57.4%	61	38.6	62.7	48.0		50.0	25.4	42.4	32.7	33.5	33.3	$17,744
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)					31.6				21.1		$23,512
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)											$15,259
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%)	47.4	468^th of 950 public elementary schools	50.7%		37.2	548^th of 943 public elementary schools	41.9%	80	35.4	52.5	47.9		45.3	40.5	30.5	35.1	35.4	40.2	$14,779
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%)	17.9	769^th of 950 public elementary schools	19.1%		18.7	759^th of 943 public elementary schools	19.5%	10	20.0	22.2	32.8		25.5	12.0		15.8		30.9	$22,365
Animas Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	373 Hermosa Meadows Road	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-0124	185	18	10.1	37.8%	109 (58.9%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (31.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.8%)	47.5	467^th of 950 public elementary schools	50.8%		53.6	420^th of 943 public elementary schools	55.5%	47	57.7	39.1	50.0		49.3	29.6	45.8	25.0	33.3	33.3	$21,990

Frequently Asked Questions about Florida Mesa Elementary School

How many students attend Florida Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 293 students attended 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.

What district is Florida Mesa Elementary School in?

Durango School District No. 9-R

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 566^th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Florida Mesa Elementary School!

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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.