Rye Elementary School

Rye Elementary School serves 319 students in grades PK–5 in the small town of Rye, Colorado, and is part of Pueblo County School District 70. The school has earned its strongest ranking in years, placing 285th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools (70th percentile, 4 stars) for the 2025-2026 school year, a big jump from the previous year’s 3-star rating.

Rye stands out academically when compared with its district and the state. In the latest testing cycle, 55.6% of Rye students were proficient in both English Language Arts and math, compared with district averages of 43.4% and 33.1% respectively, and state averages of 44.7% and 37.3%. Math is a particular strength—Rye’s proficiency rate is nearly 23 percentage points higher than the district’s. The school also outperforms its nearby neighbors: Beulah Elementary School (42% ELA, 36% math) and Gardner Valley School (29.4% ELA, 11.8% math) trail Rye significantly. Rye’s 3rd grade math proficiency is exceptional at 74%, a full 30 points above the state average, though math scores do decline in later grades.

One of the most notable findings is Rye’s success with students from low-income backgrounds. Low-SES students at Rye ranked 54th out of 319 comparable schools statewide (83rd percentile), a dramatic improvement over prior years. This is particularly encouraging given that 53.3% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The school achieves these results despite a high student-teacher ratio of 18.7 and a chronic absenteeism rate of 32.4% that remains above the state average. Science proficiency (33.3% in 5th grade) trails the state and is an area to watch. Overall, Rye Elementary is clearly on an upward trajectory and is a standout school in the region.