Moffat County High School

Moffat County High School in Craig, CO, is a medium-sized rural public school serving 481 students in grades 9–12, and it is part of Moffat County School District RE: No. 1. The school currently holds a 2-star rating and ranks 224th of 338 Colorado high schools, placing it in the 34th percentile—a real improvement from recent years when it sat in the 20th percentile, though it still remains in the lower third of the state.

Academically, math is a clear area of concern: only 16% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT math, half the state rate of 32%. Reading and writing start strong in 9th grade, where 68% of students are proficient (slightly above the state average), but they decline sharply to 57% in 10th grade and just 45% in 11th grade, compared to 60% statewide. The graduation rate has improved to 89.9%, above the state's 85.6%, but chronic absenteeism remains at crisis levels: 49.3% of students are chronically absent, dramatically higher than the state's 28.4% and the district's own 33.0%. The dropout rate of 2.0% is also above the state average of 1.6%. Looking at subgroups, economically disadvantaged students rank in the 52nd percentile statewide, while gifted and talented students rank near the bottom at the 4th percentile, suggesting the school is effectively supporting some students but may not be challenging its highest achievers.

Compared to nearby Hayden High School, located about 16 miles away and serving a similar population, Moffat trails in several key areas. Hayden ranks 183rd statewide (46th percentile), has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate of 33.6%, and a dropout rate of just 0.7%. On SAT reading/writing, Hayden's 65% proficiency far exceeds Moffat's 45%. Math performance is similarly low at both schools—Moffat at 16% and Hayden at 18% on SAT math—pointing to a regional challenge for rural Colorado high schools. The biggest differences are not class sizes or poverty levels but attendance and engagement, showing these issues are not inevitable and could be a meaningful focus for improvement.