Dos Rios Elementary School

Dos Rios Elementary School is a K-5 school in Evans, CO, serving 499 students in the Greeley School District No. 6. The school faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 10% of Colorado elementary schools with a 7th percentile statewide ranking. Proficiency rates lag well behind district and state averages: only 22.4% of students are proficient in ELA, 13.3% in math, and 12.7% in 5th-grade science, compared to state averages of 44.7%, 37.3%, and 36.1%, respectively.

Math is the most urgent concern, with proficiency dropping from 16.3% in 3rd grade to just 10.1% by 5th grade. Nearby schools serving similar student populations perform notably better, including Heiman Elementary School (27.9% math proficiency) and Pete Mirich Elementary School (31.1%). The contrast with Chappelow K-8 Magnet School, located just 0.18 miles away, is especially striking: Chappelow outperforms Dos Rios in every major metric despite similar poverty levels. However, there is good news: chronic absenteeism dropped from 35.5% to 28.5% in one year, now matching the state average, and ELA scores have risen steadily for three consecutive years.

The school's challenges appear systemic rather than limited to any one group of students, since every measured subgroup ranks in the bottom 8% statewide. While 73.6% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, poverty alone doesn't tell the full story—neighboring Meeker Elementary School has nearly identical poverty rates but significantly higher ELA proficiency. Dos Rios is not alone in its struggles; nearby schools like Scott Elementary School, Centennial Elementary School, and Jackson Elementary School also sit in the bottom decile. Still, the improvement in attendance and steady gains in ELA and science suggest targeted efforts are beginning to take hold, and sustained school-wide focus on math instruction will be critical to turning the corner.