Summary:
In zip code 81141, located in the small southern Colorado community of Manassa, there is just one public school: Manassa Elementary School. This K–5 school serves 190 students and belongs to the North Conejos School District No. Re1J, which currently ranks 32nd out of 115 Colorado districts. Because it is the only school in the area, all comparisons are made against district and state averages rather than local peers.
Manassa Elementary School is a high-poverty school—over 75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch—yet it has posted several above-average results. In the 2024–2025 school year, the school outperformed the state by 14.1 points in English Language Arts (58.9% proficient vs. 44.8%) and by 20.2 points in math (56.1% vs. 35.9%). Its 5th-grade science scores were also outstanding that year at 64.1% proficient, far exceeding the state. However, the most recent 2025–2026 grade-level data shows a stark division: 4th graders are a clear bright spot, scoring 63.0% in ELA and 66.7% in math, with math finishing nearly 28 points above the state average. In contrast, the 5th grade cohort lags, with science proficiency falling to just 22.9%—well below the state's 36.1%.
This uneven performance has caused the school's state ranking to fluctuate dramatically, rising to the 79th percentile (4 stars) in 2024–2025 before falling back to the 57th percentile (3 stars) in the most recent rankings. Chronic absenteeism is a moderate concern at 26.3%, which is higher than the district's 22.9% but still below the state's 28.4%. Since there is no middle or high school within the zip code, Manassa Elementary School serves as the sole local educational hub for the community. Overall, this small elementary school has demonstrated real academic potential, especially in its lower grades, but faces the challenge of stabilizing performance across all grade levels and subjects.
Thank you for your feedback!