Schools in Zip Code 81082

Zip code 81082, serving the Trinidad, Colorado area, contains four schools with roughly 1,040 students spanning elementary, middle, high, and alternative levels. The schools belong to Trinidad School District 1 and Hoehne Reorganized School District No. 3. Trinidad School District 1 ranks in the 21st percentile of Colorado districts with a 1-star rating. This is a small, rural school ecosystem where cohort effects and enrollment shifts can cause significant year-to-year volatility in results.

Fisher's Peak Elementary School is the area's academic standout, improving from the 32nd to 44th percentile in state rankings. Its CMAS ELA proficiency of 43.2% nears the state average of 44.7%, and it exceeds state averages in 5th-grade ELA and 3rd-grade math — all while serving the highest poverty rate in the group at 75.3% free/reduced lunch. Hoehne Schools stands out for engagement and college readiness, with the lowest poverty rate (37.6%), best attendance (15.2% chronic absenteeism), and an 87% graduation rate. Hoehne students beat state averages on several PSAT benchmarks, though its CMAS scores lag Fisher's Peak.

Trinidad High School and Trinidad Middle School face serious struggles. Trinidad High's graduation rate is 80.8%, and math proficiency is critically low — just 9% on PSAT 9 Math versus 40% statewide. Trinidad Middle has the highest chronic absenteeism at 25.7% and math proficiency of 18.5% versus the state's 37.3%. Math is a systemic weakness across the entire zip code, worsening as students age. Scores are volatile due to small enrollments; for example, Hoehne's SAT Reading/Writing fell from 70% to 28% in one year. Attendance is a relative bright spot, with all four schools below the state's 28.4% chronic absenteeism rate. Poverty does not fully explain performance, but math remains the biggest obstacle across the community.