Columbine Elementary School

Columbine Elementary School serves 421 students in grades 1–5 in Fort Morgan, Colorado, and is part of School District No. Re-3 Fort Morgan, a district ranked in the bottom 5% of Colorado. Despite that, Columbine is a relative bright spot: its 2025–2026 state rank places it at the 31st percentile (2 stars), the highest among nearby elementary schools, including same-district peers Baker Elementary School, Green Acres Elementary School, Pioneer Elementary School, and even Beaver Valley Elementary School in Brush.

On 2025–2026 CMAS tests, Columbine outpaced its district by 6–9 percentage points in every subject: 32.5% proficient in ELA versus 25.6% districtwide, 26.3% in math versus 17.6%, and 32.1% in 5th-grade science versus 23.9%. It leads all four same-district elementary schools in both ELA and math proficiency. Fifth grade is a particular strength — 40.5% of 5th graders met ELA expectations, approaching the state average of 49.9% — while 4th-grade math is a clear weak spot at 20.2% proficient. The school also had a standout year in 2023–2024, when math proficiency reached 34.0%, nearly matching the state average of 34.2%.

Attendance appears to be a hidden driver of success. Columbine’s chronic absenteeism rate is just 15.2% — dramatically lower than the district’s 27.6% and the state’s 28.4%, and far below every same-district elementary school. The school is also notably effective with historically underserved students: its low-income and Hispanic students perform at or near the school’s overall level, suggesting a strong equity profile. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.4, Columbine actually has larger classes than Pioneer (11.2) and Baker (13.6), yet it outperforms both — evidence that it gets more out of its instructional resources. About half of students qualify for free/reduced lunch (50.8%), down from 60.8% the prior year, which may shift the school’s demographics in the coming years.