Best Public Schools in Zip Code 81641

Zip code 81641 in Meeker, Colorado, is served by a single district, Meeker School District Re1, which operates three public schools—Meeker Elementary School (PK–5), Barone Middle School (6–8), and Meeker High School (9–12)—enrolling 672 students. The district ranks 17th out of 115 Colorado districts (85th percentile, 4 stars), placing all three schools within a high-performing system. Meeker High School is the strongest on statewide rankings, coming in at #100 of 338 high schools (70th percentile, 4 stars) with a 92.6% graduation rate versus the state's 85.6%. Its 11th-grade science proficiency (45.1%) is nearly double the state's 24.8%, and SAT math scores (43%) exceed the state's 32%.

Barone Middle School is arguably the district's most balanced school, holding the highest current percentile rank (71st) and the lowest chronic absenteeism (19.0%). Its ELA proficiency (55.1%) leads the district and tops the state's 44.7%, and 8th-grade science (51.1%) is well above the state's 35.4%. Math is the weak point, with overall proficiency (38.5%) roughly matching the state's 37.3% and 8th-grade math falling below (31.3% vs. 37.8%). Meeker Elementary School posts strong math (48.1% vs. 37.3% statewide) and above-average ELA (46.9% vs. 44.7%), despite having the highest poverty rate (42.5% free/reduced lunch). Its 5th-grade science (28.3%) lags the state's 36.1%, and its rank has slipped from the 64th to the 57th percentile over three years.

Several trends deserve attention. All three schools have seen their rankings decline over three years, and science scores dropped sharply at every level—most strikingly at the high school, where 11th-grade science fell from 68.8% to 45.1% in one year. Science proficiency follows a surprising pattern across the pipeline: below state in elementary, well above state in middle, and nearly double the state average in high school, suggesting stronger science instruction as students advance. The high school's chronic absenteeism (28.1%) is a red flag, matching the state's already-high average and exceeding the district's 22.5%. Overall, Meeker's schools form a solid, above-average district with clear strengths in high school science, graduation rates, and elementary math—but recent downward trends, especially in science and high school attendance, deserve close attention.