Trinidad High School

Trinidad High School is a public high school in Trinidad, CO, serving 204 students in grades 9–12 as the only high school in Trinidad School District 1. The school serves a predominantly low-income student body, with 67.2% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Trinidad currently holds a 1-star SchoolDigger rating, ranking 294th out of 338 Colorado high schools (13th percentile)—a notable decline from a decade ago when it sat near the middle of the pack. Nearby Primero Junior-Senior High School has performed much stronger, ranking in the 58th–65th percentile in recent years, though it serves a wealthier population (26.5% vs. 67.2% low-income). Aguilar Junior-Senior High School, the other nearby option, is smaller and appears academically weaker, with just 22.7% proficiency in English language arts.

The biggest academic concern is mathematics. Only 8% of 11th graders scored proficient on the 2024–2025 SAT math section, versus 32% statewide, and math proficiency has lingered in single digits for the past several years. Reading and writing scores are closer to state averages but still trail: 40% proficiency on SAT Reading/Writing compared to 60% statewide. By comparison, Primero posted 53% proficiency on SAT Reading/Writing and 25% on SAT math. Science scores have been volatile but showed recent improvement, reaching 22.9% proficiency in 2025–2026—nearly matching the state average of 24.8%.

There are encouraging non-academic signs. The graduation rate has stabilized near 80%, recovering strongly from a 65.3% dip in 2021–2022, and the dropout rate has fallen to 0.8%, well below the state's 1.6%. Chronic absenteeism (22.6%) is better than the state average and far better than Aguilar's 34.0%. However, the school's effectiveness ratings reveal a striking gender gap: in 2023–2024, female students ranked in the 4th percentile statewide while male students ranked in the 28th percentile, suggesting the school may be significantly less effective at supporting its female students academically. For parents considering Trinidad, the school offers a stable, engaged student body, but the math program and support for female students are areas worth investigating.