Summary:
In zip code 81089, located in Walsenburg, Colorado, there are 2 public schools serving grades PK-12 through Huerfano School District Re-1: Peakview School (PK-6) and Walsenburg Junior Senior High School (7-12). Together they enroll about 360 students, and nearly all of them come from economically disadvantaged households, with roughly 90% eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Comparing the two schools, Peakview School stands out for its smaller class sizes (12:1 student-teacher ratio) and somewhat stronger test scores, though both schools fall far below state averages. Walsenburg Junior Senior High School stands out for its excellent graduation rate of 93.1% and low dropout rate of 0.9%, both better than the state average. However, only 5.8% of its students are proficient in math, and just 22% of 11th graders meet the SAT reading/writing benchmark. This means students are earning diplomas at high rates but often without the academic skills typically expected by the state.
The biggest concerns in this area are chronic absenteeism and very low proficiency, especially in math. Chronic absenteeism is 35.8% at Peakview School and 41.7% at Walsenburg Junior Senior High School, both above the state's 28.4%. Math proficiency is just 8.3% at the elementary level and 5.8% at the high school level. Literacy also appears to slip as students advance, with 9th graders at 52% proficient in reading/writing but 11th graders at only 22%. These patterns point to long-term academic struggles in a community facing concentrated poverty, though the high school's strong completion rates show a real commitment to keeping students in school.
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