Best Public Schools in Zip Code 81424

Zip code 81424 serves the Nucla, Colorado area and includes two small schools—Nucla High School and Nucla Middle School—within West End School District No. Re-2. Nucla Middle School stands out for its 8th-grade math performance, with 50% proficiency versus 37.8% statewide, and earns a 3-star rating. Nucla High School posts a graduation rate of 87.5%, slightly above the state’s 85.6%, and its 10th graders score 72% proficient on PSAT10 Reading and Writing, well above the state’s 64%. These bright spots are notable, but they come alongside serious attendance and engagement challenges affecting both schools.

Chronic absenteeism is the most pressing concern. Nucla High School’s rate is 57.8%, and Nucla Middle School’s is 48.7%—roughly double the state average of 28.4%. The high school also has a dropout rate of 4.5%, nearly three times the state’s 1.6%. Academic performance is mixed: The middle school’s all-grade ELA proficiency is 26.3% versus 44.7% statewide, while math proficiency is 26.3% versus 37.3%. At the high school, 11th-grade SAT math proficiency is just 19% compared to 32% statewide, and CMAS science is 19% versus 24.8%. Yet the high school’s 9th-grade PSAT9 reading/writing is 58% versus 66% statewide, showing inconsistent results across grade levels. Interestingly, Nucla High School has a favorable 8.2-to-1 student-teacher ratio, while the middle school’s ratio is 17.3-to-1, but the high school still struggles with attendance and dropout issues.

With only 99 students combined, these metrics are volatile; a shift of a few students can cause large year-to-year swings. For example, the middle school’s all-grade ELA proficiency fell from 43.8% to 26.3% in one year, while math rose from 18.8% to 26.3%. The decline in math from middle school to high school is striking—8th graders hit 50% proficiency, but 11th graders fall to 19%. Reading and writing results are inconsistent, with the 10th-grade cohort performing well above state averages while other grades lag. Both schools serve a high-poverty population, with free/reduced lunch rates near 58–59%. For parents, the takeaway is that while there are pockets of success, particularly at Nucla Middle School in math and Nucla High School in graduation, the very high chronic absenteeism and dropout rates signal that student engagement and attendance are critical areas needing attention.