Best Public Schools in Zip Code 81432

In zip code 81432, three public schools—Ridgway Elementary School, Ridgway Middle School, and Ridgway High School—serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade as part of the Ridgway School District No. R-2, a top-ranked Colorado district rated 2nd out of 115 districts statewide.

All three schools consistently outperform state averages in nearly every subject, but each has distinct strengths. Ridgway Elementary School holds the highest state rank percentile at 89th, thanks to strong science scores (68.8% proficient versus 36.1% statewide) and a low chronic absenteeism rate of 9.3%. Ridgway Middle School posts the best core subject scores of the three, with 61.7% proficiency in ELA and 54.1% in math, and its 8th-grade science proficiency of 75% is more than double the state rate of 35.4%. Ridgway High School shines in reading and writing assessments—95% proficient on PSAT10 Reading/Writing versus 65% statewide—and made the largest ranking jump from the 73rd to 84th percentile. However, its 47.4% chronic absenteeism rate is a severe outlier compared to the lower schools' roughly 9% rates, and it remains the biggest concern in the district despite strong academics and a low dropout rate.

Science is a district-wide strength: every school outpaces state averages by wide margins, and the middle school leads by nearly 40 points. Reading and writing are also elite, especially at the high school level, though SAT math proficiency (39%) lags behind the state's 32% only modestly. Small enrollments—ranging from 74 to 149 students—mean year-to-year scores can swing sharply, as seen in elementary math dropping from 62.9% to 48.1% in one year or high school SAT math jumping from 15% to 39%. Ranking trends also differ: the elementary is climbing quickly, the high school is improving, and the middle school has slipped slightly from the 90th to 86th percentile despite remaining academically strong. Overall, this small but high-performing district offers excellent academics, with attendance at the high school as the clear area to watch.