Otis Junior-Senior High School

Otis Junior-Senior High School is a single small school in the rural town of Otis, Colorado, serving just 102 students across grades 6–12—roughly 14–15 students per grade—and it is the only secondary school in the Otis School District No. R-3. Despite its size, Otis currently holds the highest state ranking among nearby high schools: in 2024–2025 it placed 127th of 328 Colorado high schools (61st percentile, 3 stars), comfortably ahead of Akron High School (182nd), Lone Star Undivided High School (240th), and Yuma High School (242nd).

Academically, Otis is improving but uneven. On state CMAS tests, proficiency trails Colorado averages—especially in math, where roughly 18% of students are proficient versus 37% statewide—but English Language Arts has climbed 13 points across the last three testing years. A brighter spot is the PSAT10: Otis 10th graders scored 69% proficient in reading/writing (above the state's 64%) and 38% in math (above the state's 36%, and the best math score among all nearby schools). Graduation rates have also consistently met or exceeded the state average, with a dropout rate near zero. The biggest red flag is attendance: Otis reported a startling 100% chronic absenteeism rate in 2024–2025, up from 24.8% the year before, while the district-wide rate of 66.8% is more than double the state average. That dramatic jump suggests a possible data-reporting issue, but families should ask the school directly about how attendance is being tracked.

Otis has a high-variance history—it ranked 7th in Colorado in 2009–2010, fell to the bottom third by 2022–2023, and has since rebounded into the upper-middle range. With only about 100 students, one strong or weak grade cohort can swing results significantly from year to year. Also, Otis's strong 10th-grade PSAT performance has not always translated into equally strong 11th-grade SAT scores. Still, for families considering rural schools in this region, Otis stands out for its small classes (a 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio), competitive graduation rates, and current academic momentum—provided the attendance question is resolved.