Soroco Middle School

Soroco Middle School is a small public school in Oak Creek, Colorado, serving 67 students in grades 6-8 as part of the South Routt School District Re-3. While the district ranks in the middle of Colorado districts, Soroco Middle itself has frequently earned 4 or 5 stars in recent years, placing between the 81st and 95th percentile. The nearest comparable school, Steamboat Springs Middle School, is about 17 miles away and enrolls 440 students.

Academically, English language arts is Soroco's anchor. Its most recent proficiency rate of 69.1% nearly matches Steamboat Springs Middle School's 70.0% and far exceeds the state average of 44.7%. In 7th grade, Soroco actually outperformed Steamboat Springs, with 78.3% proficiency versus 71.1%. Math is the clearest opportunity: Soroco's 47.3% proficiency beats the state average of 37.3% but trails Steamboat Springs' 60.1% by roughly 13 points. Science has been exceptional yet uneven, with 8th-grade proficiency ranging from 81% in 2023-2024 to 60.9% the following year, both well above state averages. This year-to-year swing reflects the reality that with just 67 students, a small number of changes can move results significantly.

Soroco's chronic absenteeism rate of 20.0% is better than the state average of 28.4% but higher than Steamboat Springs' 16.1%. The student-teacher ratio of 16.7 is well above Steamboat Springs' 12.2, though it was 11.8 just a year earlier. Both schools serve economically similar populations, with free and reduced lunch rates of 20.9% at Soroco and 18.4% at Steamboat Springs. Overall, Soroco is a strong small-school performer with a distinctive ELA identity, impressive science potential, and improving math scores. The main considerations for parents are the small scale, which creates ranking volatility, and the higher student-teacher ratio, which may limit individualized support.