Stratton Senior High School

Stratton Senior High School is a very small public high school in Stratton, Colorado, serving just 64 students in grades 9-12 as part of School District No. R-4. This tiny rural school is currently a standout performer, ranking 34th out of 338 Colorado high schools — putting it in the 90th percentile with a 5-star rating. What makes this particularly impressive is that Stratton Senior High School has staged a remarkable turnaround: just a few years ago, in 2017-2018, it ranked 277th and carried a 1-star rating.

Academically, Stratton beats both the state average and nearby Burlington High School by wide margins. On the 10th-grade PSAT10, 79% of Stratton students were proficient in reading/writing and 71% in math, compared to state averages of 65% and 39%. Burlington's reading/writing proficiency was just 56%. In 9th grade, Stratton's math proficiency reached 65% versus the state's 38% and Burlington's 11%. Stratton also posts strong graduation outcomes, with an 89.5% graduation rate and a 0% dropout rate. The school's 9.9-to-1 student-teacher ratio is far lower than Burlington's 16.7-to-1, allowing for more individualized attention. Only 25% of Stratton students qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to about 64% at Burlington.

Stratton's success has historical precedent — it ranked in the 85th percentile back in 2004-2005 and 2008-2009 — though small-school rankings can fluctuate with just 64 students. However, the consistency of strong results across multiple subjects and grade levels in consecutive years suggests this is genuine achievement, not a one-year fluke. For parents considering a small rural school with strong academics, math in particular, Stratton stands out as a top performer in its region.