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The Juniper School

Q: Is The Juniper School a good school?

The Juniper School ranks 356 th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

356^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

The Juniper School is a public charter elementary school serving 169 students in grades K-8 in Durango, Colorado, which is part of the Durango School District No. 9-R. The school has seen its statewide ranking fluctuate in recent years, currently holding a 3-star rating.

The Juniper School stands out for its strong academic performance, outpacing both the Durango School District and the state of Colorado in several key test score metrics, including 5th grade science proficiency, 3rd grade ELA proficiency, and 3rd grade math proficiency. The school also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, which may contribute to its academic success. However, the school faces challenges with a higher chronic absenteeism rate compared to the state average, and has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

When compared to nearby schools, The Juniper School generally outperforms other elementary schools in the Durango School District, particularly in test scores. However, some schools like Riverview Elementary and Park Elementary also demonstrate strong academic performance. The Juniper School's fluctuating statewide ranking suggests the school may be experiencing some instability or inconsistency in its academic performance, which could be an area for further investigation and improvement.

171

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,249

Per pupil spending ?

38.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

225 Sawyer Dr
Durango, CO 81303

(970) 764-4185

District: Durango School District No. 9-R

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.5%

Hispanic:

16.4%

Two or more races:

2.9%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2019 → 63rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2019

✓Above the Colorado median (63rd percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg45%

Colorado avg40%

356^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 18 pts since 2019

From bottom 45% (2019) to top 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	60.1	356 of 950	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	331 of 943	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	82.7	137 of 933	85.3%	★★★★☆
2022	63.7	307 of 921	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.4	532 of 965	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Science65%+26 vs state

English Language Arts50%+5 vs state

Math33%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near The Juniper 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11274 Highway 140	Hesperus	81326	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 588-3331	116	11	10.2	50.9%	84 (72.4%)	1 (0.9%)	25 (21.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)								(n/a)					50.0				43.8		$24,256
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about The Juniper School

Is The Juniper School a good school?

The Juniper School ranks 356^th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of The Juniper School?

Students at The Juniper School are 80% White, 16% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend The Juniper School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 171 students attended The Juniper School.

What district is The Juniper School in?

Durango School District No. 9-R

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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.