Columbine Middle School

Columbine Middle School serves 491 students in grades 6–8 in Montrose, Colorado, and is part of the Montrose County School District Re-1J, a mid-sized district in western Colorado. The school has declined from a consistently 3-star rating to a 2-star rating over the past several years, currently ranking in the 42nd percentile of Colorado middle schools.

Academically, the biggest concern is math: only 23.6% of Columbine students are proficient, compared with the state average of 37.3%. The 7th grade year appears to be a particular trouble spot, with just 13.8% of 7th graders proficient in math and 29.6% in English language arts. By contrast, the same school's 8th graders post much stronger results, with 31.8% proficient in math and 45.9% in ELA—beating both the district and state averages at that grade level. Compared with nearby Centennial Middle School, located just over half a mile away, Columbine ranks slightly lower overall, though it outperforms Centennial in 8th grade ELA and science. Eighth grade science is a clear bright spot: 33.3% proficient, nearly matching the state average of 35.4% and well above both Centennial (29.0%) and the district (27.2%).

Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern, with 34.6% of students chronically absent—well above the state rate of 28.4%, though nearly identical to Centennial's 35.2%, suggesting this is a district-wide challenge rather than a school-specific issue. Columbine also has a somewhat higher student-to-teacher ratio (16.6) than Centennial (14.6). Subgroup results are uneven, with low-income students showing volatile performance from year to year. Overall, the data point to two clear priorities: targeted support for 7th grade academics, especially math, and reducing chronic absenteeism. The school's strong 8th grade results show it is capable of near-state-average outcomes, but students need additional help navigating the middle school years to get there.