Lochbuie Intermediate Academy

Lochbuie Elementary School serves 239 students in grades 4–6 in the small town of Lochbuie, Colorado, as part of Weld County School District Re-3J. Despite its name, the school functions as an upper-elementary/middle hybrid, serving a predominantly low-income population — 61.9% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25. Its most distinctive strengths are small class sizes and strong attendance: the student-teacher ratio of 12.9 is the lowest among nearby middle schools, and the chronic absenteeism rate of 23.2% is below the state average of 28.4% and the lowest in the surrounding area, where other schools range from 24.4% to 38.2%.

Academically, the picture is mixed. English language arts proficiency has improved steadily from 20.2% in 2023-24 to 26.8% in 2025-26, and 5th-grade science has beaten the district average in two of the past three years. The 5th grade stands out across subjects: 36.9% proficient in ELA compared with 20.7% in 4th grade and 25.3% in 6th grade. Math, however, remains a serious concern at 17.6% proficiency, far below both the district (29.0%) and state (37.3%) averages. While some nearby schools score even lower — Shadow Ridge Middle School at 10.9% and Overland Trail Middle School at 11.7% — the math gap remains Lochbuie's biggest hurdle.

Compared with Weld Central Middle School, its same-district neighbor, Lochbuie has better attendance, smaller classes, and a similar poverty rate, yet it trails academically — 26.8% vs. 30.4% in ELA and 17.6% vs. 27.6% in math. Lochbuie is mid-pack within a cluster of nearby schools that mostly struggle relative to the state, but it lags far behind more affluent schools like Rocky Top Middle School, which posts 53.4% ELA and 46.3% math proficiency. The bottom line: Lochbuie offers a supportive, well-attended environment with small classes and improving literacy — but targeted math support will be critical to converting those strengths into stronger academic results.