Simla Elementary School

Simla Elementary School is a small, rural PK-5 school serving 165 students in Simla, CO, and is part of the highly rated Big Sandy School District No. 100J, which ranks 14th out of 115 Colorado districts. In the most recent statewide rankings, Simla placed 221st of 943 elementary schools — the 77th percentile — earning a 4-star rating, a strong rebound from the previous year's 59th-percentile finish.

Parents comparing schools in the area will find striking differences between Simla and Calhan Elementary School, located about 13 miles away. Simla outpaces Calhan in every academic measure: 57.6% of Simla students are proficient in ELA compared to 31.5% at Calhan, math proficiency is 54.2% versus 19.2%, and 5th-grade science proficiency is an extraordinary 65% versus just 11.1%. What makes this especially notable is that Simla achieves these results while serving a student population with a higher economic-disadvantage rate (64.85% free/reduced lunch) than Calhan (53.23%). Simla also exceeds state averages in all three subjects.

Several factors stand out for parents. Math is a consistent strength, with Simla exceeding its district's math proficiency every reported year. Science performance is exceptional, recently hitting 65% proficiency versus a 36.1% state average. Class sizes are small, with a 10.6 student-teacher ratio, and attendance is strong — chronic absenteeism fell to 11.2% in 2024-25, far below the state's 28.4% rate. The one soft spot is 5th-grade reading, where proficiency dropped to 45%, below the state average of 49.9%, while 5th-grade math and science remain above state averages. Overall, Simla's latest data show upward momentum, making it a notably effective school relative to its rural peers.