Escalante Middle School

Escalante Middle School is a mid-sized public school in Durango, CO, serving 461 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Durango School District No. 9-R, a district rated in the top quarter of Colorado. The school holds a consistent 3-star rating and ranks in the 60th percentile of Colorado middle schools — a solid, reliable performance that sits squarely in the middle of the state.

Academically, Escalante outperforms its out-of-district neighbors on most measures. Its math proficiency rate of 37.3% is the best among traditional public middle schools in the area, ahead of Miller Middle School (33.6%), Bayfield Middle School (24.1%), and Ignacio Middle School (17.7%). The clearest bright spot is 8th-grade math, where 52.7% of students are proficient — 15 points above the state average. ELA proficiency (46.4%) is above the state but trails Miller, and Mountain Middle School remains the area's top academic performer with an 84th-percentile rank.

Beyond test scores, attendance is a mixed picture: about 29% of students are chronically absent, which matches the state average and looks good next to Bayfield (39.8%) and Ignacio (42.3%), but is far worse than Mountain Middle's exceptional 6.6%. The school serves a substantial low-income population (42.7% free/reduced lunch) and supports those students reasonably well. Gifted and Talented services have historically been a weak spot — ranking near the bottom statewide — though recent data shows meaningful improvement. Hispanic students have also received lower effectiveness ratings than other subgroups in recent years, suggesting some equity gaps worth monitoring. Overall, Escalante is a stable, middle-of-the-road school with a genuine strength in math and a few areas that deserve attention.