Fowler High School

Fowler High School is a small public high school in rural Fowler, Colorado, serving 101 students in grades 9–12 as part of Fowler School District No. R4J.

Fowler is a clear standout among its rural neighbors. Its 95.8% graduation rate beats the state average of 85.6% and outpaces nearby Rocky Ford Junior/Senior High School (87.8%), Crowley County Junior and Senior High School (83.3%), and Manzanola Junior-Senior High School (86.7%). With about 8.5 students per teacher, students get far more individual attention than at nearby schools—Crowley County, for instance, has 22.2 students per teacher. Fowler also leads the region on test scores: 56% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT reading/writing, and 31.8% are proficient in science, both above state averages. Fewer than half of Fowler's students (46.5%) qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to more than 77% at Rocky Ford and Manzanola.

Still, there are challenges worth knowing. Fowler's 9th graders start strong—reading and math proficiency at or above state averages—but scores drop sharply by 11th grade, especially in math, where only 17% are proficient versus 32% statewide. Chronic absenteeism affects about 37% of students, and economically disadvantaged students perform well below their peers, scoring in the 24th percentile statewide. Because the school is so small, results can swing widely from year to year; for example, the graduation rate went from 70% one year to 95.8% the next. Fowler is the strongest school in its immediate area, but its overall state rank of 198 out of 338 high schools shows there is room to grow.