Summary:
Zip code 81226 is served by two schools in the Fremont Re-2 district, covering grades PK–12 with no standalone middle school, and both schools face significant academic challenges compared to state averages. Florence Junior/Senior High School serves grades 7–12 with 572 students, while Fremont Elementary School serves PK–6 with 441 students. The district overall ranks in the bottom 7% of Colorado districts, and both schools sit well below state proficiency averages in nearly every tested subject.
Florence Junior/Senior High School is the relative bright spot, showing a three-year improvement in state percentile (from 22nd to 29th) and posting an above-state PSAT9 Reading/Writing proficiency of 75% compared to Colorado’s 66%. Its graduation rate is close to the state (82.6% vs. 85.6%), and its dropout rate is actually better than the state’s (1.2% vs. 1.6%). In contrast, Fremont Elementary School has declined from the 27th to the 18th percentile over three years, with chronic absenteeism of 34.1%, a 59.6% free/reduced lunch rate, and critically low 6th-grade math proficiency at just 5.6% compared to 32.7% statewide.
Mathematics is the most urgent district-wide weakness: SAT math proficiency at the high school is only 8% versus 32% statewide, and elementary math proficiency is 16.5%. Reading and writing are relatively stronger, especially at the high school, but a dramatic year-over-year CMAS ELA drop from 51.4% to 22.9% deserves investigation. Chronic absenteeism exceeds the state rate at both schools, and Fremont Elementary carries a higher student–teacher ratio (18.3) than the high school (14.4) despite serving a higher-poverty population. For parents, the key takeaway is that Florence Junior/Senior High School is improving and has notable literacy strengths, while Fremont Elementary School faces steeper challenges in poverty, absenteeism, and math instruction that need immediate attention.
Thank you for your feedback!