Can I use Chaffee County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Chaffee County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Chaffee County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Chaffee County?

Start with the 12 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Chaffee County Schools & Education

Name: Chaffee County, Colorado Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Chaffee County, Colorado

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

82.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

82.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.1%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,720

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,447

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 36/100

State Score Position

#27

of 63 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Chaffee County

Measured School Summary

Chaffee County faces educational challenges with a school score of 37/100 and a graduation rate of 82.7%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,720 per pupil, Chaffee County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 2% above the Colorado average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 4% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Chaffee County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

12 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

37/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #27 of 63 Colorado counties with school score data.

Completion

82.7%

0.4 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,720

$273 above the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Chaffee County has 12 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Chaffee County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Chaffee County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#27

of 63 Colorado counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Salida School District No. R-32

Elementary to high school visible

1,327 students

Elementary 1Middle 2High 2Other 1

6 listed schools in this county slice.

Buena Vista School District No. R-31

Elementary to high school visible

1,032 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 2Other 1

5 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Salida School District No. R-32 is the largest listed district slice, with 6 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Chaffee County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Chaffee County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Public Schools in Chaffee County Centered in Town Locales

Education data brief for Chaffee County, Colorado.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Chaffee County is distinctive for its school locale distribution, with 10 of its 12 public schools classified as being in a town rather than a city, suburb, or rural area. This educational landscape serves 2,487 students across two districts: Salida School District No. R-32 and Buena Vista School District No. R-31. The county’s graduation rate is 82.7%, which sits just below the state average of 83.1% and the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure is $7,720, exceeding the state average of $7,447 but remaining well below the national average of $13,000. Chaffee County’s composite school score is 36.8, which is slightly higher than the state average of 35.6. Longfellow Elementary in Salida is the largest school with 455 students. The county’s directory includes one charter school and two alternative schools. For school-level details, see the NCES Common Core of Data.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Chaffee County

Reported Enrollment

2,487

12 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

8% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3

Middle3

High4

Other2

2 School Districts in Chaffee County

Salida School District No. R-32

6 schools

1,327 students

Buena Vista School District No. R-31

5 schools

1,032 students

12 Public Schools in Chaffee County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 12 of 12 matching schools

Public schools in Chaffee County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Longfellow Elementary School	Record	Salida School District No. R-32	SALIDA, 81201Town: Remote	KG–4	Primary	455
Avery/Parsons Elementary School	Record	Buena Vista School District No. R-31	BUENA VISTA, 81211Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	435
Salida High School	Record	Salida School District No. R-32	SALIDA, 81201Town: Remote	9–12	High	394
Salida Middle School	Record	Salida School District No. R-32	SALIDA, 81201Town: Remote	5–8	Middle	315
Buena Vista High School	Record	Buena Vista School District No. R-31	BUENA VISTA, 81211Town: Remote	9–12	High	274
Buena Vista Middle School	Record	Buena Vista School District No. R-31	BUENA VISTA, 81211Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	222
Salida Montessori Charter School	Record	State Charter School Institute	SALIDA, 81201Town: Remote	PK–8	Charter	128
The Grove BVSD's Early Learning Program	Record	Buena Vista School District No. R-31	BUENA VISTA, 81211Rural: Fringe	PK	Other	82
Salida Early Childhood Center	Record	Salida School District No. R-32	SALIDA, 81201Town: Remote	PK	Other	71
Crest Academy	Record	Salida School District No. R-32	SALIDA, 81201Town: Remote	5–8	Middle	58
Horizons Exploratory Academy	Record	Salida School District No. R-32	SALIDA, 81201Town: Remote	9–12	Alternative	34
Chaffee County High School	Record	Buena Vista School District No. R-31	BUENA VISTA, 81211Town: Remote	7–12	Alternative	19

Longfellow Elementary School

Salida School District No. R-32

SALIDA, 81201 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–4Primary455 students

Avery/Parsons Elementary School

Buena Vista School District No. R-31

BUENA VISTA, 81211 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary435 students

Salida High School

Salida School District No. R-32

SALIDA, 81201 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High394 students

Salida Middle School

Salida School District No. R-32

SALIDA, 81201 / Town: Remote

Record5–8Middle315 students

Buena Vista High School

Buena Vista School District No. R-31

BUENA VISTA, 81211 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High274 students

Buena Vista Middle School

Buena Vista School District No. R-31

BUENA VISTA, 81211 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle222 students

Salida Montessori Charter School

State Charter School Institute

SALIDA, 81201 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–8Charter128 students

The Grove BVSD's Early Learning Program

Buena Vista School District No. R-31

BUENA VISTA, 81211 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPKOther82 students

Salida Early Childhood Center

Salida School District No. R-32

SALIDA, 81201 / Town: Remote

RecordPKOther71 students

Crest Academy

Salida School District No. R-32

SALIDA, 81201 / Town: Remote

Record5–8Middle58 students

Horizons Exploratory Academy

Salida School District No. R-32

SALIDA, 81201 / Town: Remote

Record9–12Alternative34 students

Chaffee County High School

Buena Vista School District No. R-31

BUENA VISTA, 81211 / Town: Remote

Record7–12Alternative19 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,720

State avg $7,447

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Chaffee County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Colorado counties have the highest graduation rates?

Pitkin County (97.0%), Rio Blanco County (93.2%), and Routt County (93.2%) currently lead Colorado among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Colorado?

Across Colorado counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,447. The highest current county values are Mineral County ($13,728), San Juan County ($13,639), and Hinsdale County ($13,446). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Chaffee County?

Chaffee County has a school score of 37/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Chaffee County?

The high school graduation rate in Chaffee County is 82.7%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Chaffee County spend per student?

Chaffee County spends $7,720 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Dolores County

Colorado

+1 pts

38/100

School score

Garfield County

Colorado

+1 pts

38/100

School score

Lincoln County

Colorado

-1 pts

36/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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