Summary
West Grand High School in Kremmling, CO, is a small, rural school serving 123 students in grades 9–12, and it is the only high school in the West Grand School District No. 1. The most urgent issue facing the school is chronic absenteeism: nearly half of all students miss so many days that they are considered chronically absent, a rate far above both the district and state averages. This likely plays a major role in the school's recent decline to a 1-star rating and a ranking of 276th out of 338 Colorado high schools, a notable drop from its already-modest standing in prior years.
Academically, math is the school's biggest weakness. On the 2025–2026 SAT, only 9% of 11th graders were proficient in math, compared to 32% statewide, and other math assessments show similarly low results. This is not a one-year fluke—math scores have been consistently below state averages for several years. Reading and writing skills are a relative bright spot, with students sometimes matching or exceeding state proficiency rates on PSAT tests, though the most recent SAT reading/writing score of 41% (vs. 60% statewide) shows a clear decline. The graduation rate, historically a strength above 85%, slipped to 82.5% in 2024–2025, falling below the state average for the first time.
On a positive note, class sizes are very small, with roughly 10 students per teacher, which allows for more individualized attention. About 40% of students come from economically disadvantaged households, a factor that often accompanies lower test scores and higher absenteeism. With such a small student body, year-to-year metrics can swing dramatically, but the consistent patterns in attendance, math achievement, and dropout rates point to real, systemic challenges rather than random variation. For parents, these trends suggest that improving attendance and providing targeted math support are the most critical areas needing attention.
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