Fowler Junior High School

Fowler Junior High School is a small public middle school in Fowler, Colorado, serving just 58 students in grades 7 and 8 within the Fowler School District No. R4J.

The biggest concern for parents to know is math achievement. Only 18.9% of students were proficient in math in the most recent school year, compared to 37.3% statewide, and the 7th grade math rate was just 11.1%. Chronic absenteeism is also very high, with 47.5% of students missing enough school to be considered chronically absent — far above the state rate of 28.4% and up from 36.5% the year before. The school also serves an increasingly economically disadvantaged population, with 60.3% of students now receiving free or reduced-price lunch, up from 46% just a few years ago. Since the school has only 58 students, a handful of students can shift percentages noticeably, so these trends should be read with some caution, but the math gap and attendance problems are real signals that likely affect each other.

There are some bright spots worth noting. Science performance has been a consistent strength, matching or beating the state average in three of the past four years. The student-teacher ratio is also very favorable at 11.9, meaning relatively small class sizes and more potential for individual attention. English language arts is close to the state average overall at 42.6% versus 44.7% statewide, though 7th graders (50% proficient) outperform 8th graders (34.6%) by a wide margin. The school has also maintained a zero dropout rate at the middle school level. Given that nearly half of students are chronically absent, improving attendance may be the single most effective way to boost academic outcomes at Fowler Junior High.