Primero Elementary School

Primero Elementary School is a very small, rural school in Weston, Colorado, serving just 111 students in grades PK–5 under the Primero Reorganized School District No. 2. Despite its tiny size, the school has consistently earned solid ratings, receiving 4 stars in 2024–25 and ranking in the 74th percentile statewide among Colorado elementary schools — a much stronger performance than its district's overall 2-star rating might suggest.

When compared to Fisher's Peak Elementary School, the nearest comparable school about 15.8 miles away in Trinidad, Primero stands out in several ways. Primero is less than one-third the size (111 vs. 393 students) and has a lower student-teacher ratio (16.1 vs. 19.6), which means more individualized attention. It also serves a far less economically disadvantaged population, with 36.0% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch compared to 75.3% at Fisher's Peak. Academically, Primero outperformed Fisher's Peak by wide margins in the 2024–25 school year: 42.6% vs. 33.7% proficient in English Language Arts, 42.6% vs. 28.6% in math, and 47.1% vs. 29.2% in science.

That said, the most recent 2025–26 test data shows a sharp drop — ELA proficiency fell to 25.0% and math to 30.0%, with particularly low 3rd-grade scores. Given how small the school is, this is almost certainly driven by a single small cohort rather than a systemic decline. Primero had actually beaten the state average in math for three straight years prior. Chronic absenteeism has also risen from 20.5% to 24.8%, though it remains below the state average, and free/reduced lunch eligibility swung dramatically from 55.3% to 36.0% in a single year. Overall, Primero remains a solid mid-to-high performing elementary school, but its small size makes year-to-year data highly variable and worth interpreting with caution.