Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 81090

Zip code 81090, covering Walsh, Colorado, is home to just one elementary school—Walsh Elementary School—which serves grades PK through 6 within the Walsh School District No. Re-1 and enrolls about 105 students in a small, rural setting. This school is the only elementary option in the area, so the following insights focus entirely on its performance compared to district and state benchmarks.

Walsh Elementary stands out for its strong attendance and small class sizes: the chronic absenteeism rate is just 9.2%, far lower than the state average of 28.4%, and the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 9.7 to 1. With over 73% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a high-poverty population, yet students show up consistently. However, academic proficiency remains a concern. In the most recent testing year, only 31.1% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and just 15.6% in math, compared to state averages of 44.7% and 37.3%, respectively. These scores represent a decline from the prior year, when ELA proficiency was 39.1% and math was 21.7%. Walsh Elementary does slightly outperform its own district in both subjects, but given the tiny student body—where one or two students can shift percentages dramatically—year-to-year swings should be interpreted with caution.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Walsh Elementary provides a caring, well-attended environment with small classes, but academic results—especially in math—lag significantly behind the rest of Colorado. The school’s statewide ranking places it near the middle (48th percentile in 2022–2023), which may seem at odds with its low proficiency rates, but the small cohort size and older ranking data help explain the discrepancy. Math is the greatest area of need, with over 8 in 10 students not meeting grade-level expectations. Families considering this school should look into math intervention supports and be aware that while the school is academically below state averages, its strong attendance and low student-teacher ratio offer a solid foundation for targeted improvement.