Schools in Zip Code 81321

In zip code 81321 (Cortez, CO), there are 8 schools serving roughly 2,275 students from elementary through high school, all belonging to Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1. This is a small, rural district with 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools, and the data show very wide variation in performance, attendance, and graduation outcomes.

The clear standout is Lewis-Arriola Elementary School, ranked in the 93rd percentile statewide and the only school in the zip code to exceed Colorado averages in both ELA and math. Its math proficiency rate of 68.5% is more than triple the district average, and its chronic absenteeism rate is the lowest in the area. In contrast, Southwest Open Charter School faces severe challenges, with a 34.3% graduation rate, a 78.6% chronic absenteeism rate, and the highest free/reduced lunch rate in the area. Meanwhile, Montezuma-Cortez High School serves as the district's anchor, graduating 87% of its students—above both district and state averages—and enrolling nearly five times as many students as Southwest Open Charter.

Chronic absenteeism is a systemic issue across the zip code, with seven of eight schools exceeding the state rate of 28.4%. Charter schools show mixed results: Children's Kiva Montessori School performs above the district in ELA with moderate absenteeism, while Battle Rock Charter School has high absenteeism and limited test data. Poverty plays a role—schools like Mesa Elementary School struggle—but Kemper Elementary School beats district averages despite a 62.5% free/reduced lunch rate. Student-teacher ratio does not drive outcomes: Southwest has the lowest ratio yet the worst results. For parents, the key takeaway is that school choice matters enormously in this area, with Lewis-Arriola demonstrating that high achievement is possible within the district.