Montezuma County Schools & Education
Montezuma County, Colorado
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
14/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
84.6%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
84.6%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 83.1%
Per-Pupil Spending
$5,422
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,447
School Score
14/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 36/100
State Score Position
#54
of 63 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Montezuma County
Measured School Summary
Montezuma County faces educational challenges with a school score of 14/100 and a graduation rate of 84.6%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $5,422 per pupil, Montezuma County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 62% below the Colorado average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.5 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 27% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Montezuma 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
19 public schools and 3 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
14/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #54 of 63 Colorado counties with school score data.
Completion
84.6%
1.5 pts above the state average
Funding context
$5,422
$2,025 below the state average
School coverage
19
3 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
Montezuma County has 19 public schools across 3 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.
What Montezuma 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.
Choice-program county
Montezuma County has a visible charter, magnet, or virtual-school layer in NCES records. The practical question is eligibility, lottery timing, and transportation, not just whether a school appears nearby.
State position
#54
of 63 Colorado counties with school score data. The county score is 22 points below 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.
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
Elementary to high school visible
2,449 students
10 listed schools in this county slice.
Dolores School District No. Re-4A
Elementary to high school visible
683 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
Mancos School District Re-6
Elementary to high school visible
509 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 is the largest listed district slice, with 10 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 Montezuma County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Montezuma 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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Montezuma County, Colorado
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Diverse Schooling Across Three Districts
Montezuma County features 19 public schools serving 3,689 students across three distinct school districts. The infrastructure includes nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools to support a growing student population.
Strong Graduation Rates Despite Lean Spending
The county achieves a graduation rate of 84.6%, outperforming the state average of 83.1%. This success comes despite a per-pupil expenditure of $5,422, which is less than half of the national average spending of $13,000.
High Charter School Integration
The Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 is the largest, serving 2,449 students. Charter schools represent 21.1% of the county's schools, offering four unique alternative options for local families.
Expansive Rural Learning Environments
Fifteen of the county's 19 schools are located in rural areas, creating a quiet and focused learning atmosphere. While Montezuma-Cortez High School serves 601 students, the average school size across the county remains small at just 194 students.
School Overview
Total Schools
19
in Montezuma County
Reported Enrollment
3,689
19 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
4
21% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Montezuma County
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
Dolores School District No. Re-4A
Mancos School District Re-6
19 Public Schools in Montezuma 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 dataLevel
Showing 19 of 19 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montezuma-Cortez High School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 601 |
| Montezuma-Cortez Middle School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 533 |
| Mesa Elementary School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 400 |
| Kemper Elementary School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Town: Remote | KG–5 | Primary | 357 |
| Dolores Elementary School | Record | Dolores School District No. Re-4A | DOLORES, 81323Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 269 |
| Mancos Elementary School | Record | Mancos School District Re-6 | MANCOS, 81328Rural: Remote | KG–5 | Primary | 198 |
| Dolores Middle School | Record | Dolores School District No. Re-4A | DOLORES, 81323Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 187 |
| Dolores Secondary School | Record | Dolores School District No. Re-4A | DOLORES, 81323Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 172 |
| Mancos High School | Record | Mancos School District Re-6 | MANCOS, 81328Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 156 |
| Children's Kiva Montessori School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81312Town: Remote | KG–8 | Charter | 142 |
| Lewis-Arriola Elementary School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 118 |
| Mancos Middle School | Record | Mancos School District Re-6 | MANCOS, 81328Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 114 |
| Southwest Open Charter School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | Charter | 113 |
| Battle Rock Charter School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Rural: Remote | KG–6 | Charter | 83 |
| Beech Street Preschool | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | CORTEZ, 81321Town: Remote | PK | Other | 73 |
| Teddy Bear Preschool | Record | Dolores School District No. Re-4A | DOLORES, 81323Rural: Distant | PK | Other | 55 |
| Kwiyagat Community Academy | Record | State Charter School Institute | TAWOAC, 81334Rural: Remote | KG–2 | Charter | 48 |
| Mancos Early Learning Center | Record | Mancos School District Re-6 | MANCOS, 81328Rural: Remote | PK | Other | 41 |
| Pleasant View Elementary School | Record | Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 | PLEASANT VIEW, 81331Rural: Remote | KG–5 | Primary | 29 |
Montezuma-Cortez High School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Rural: Fringe
Montezuma-Cortez Middle School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Town: Remote
Mesa Elementary School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Rural: Fringe
Kemper Elementary School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Town: Remote
Dolores Elementary School
Dolores School District No. Re-4A
DOLORES, 81323 / Rural: Distant
Mancos Elementary School
Mancos School District Re-6
MANCOS, 81328 / Rural: Remote
Dolores Middle School
Dolores School District No. Re-4A
DOLORES, 81323 / Rural: Distant
Dolores Secondary School
Dolores School District No. Re-4A
DOLORES, 81323 / Rural: Distant
Mancos High School
Mancos School District Re-6
MANCOS, 81328 / Rural: Remote
Children's Kiva Montessori School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81312 / Town: Remote
Lewis-Arriola Elementary School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Rural: Distant
Mancos Middle School
Mancos School District Re-6
MANCOS, 81328 / Rural: Remote
Southwest Open Charter School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Rural: Fringe
Battle Rock Charter School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Rural: Remote
Beech Street Preschool
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
CORTEZ, 81321 / Town: Remote
Teddy Bear Preschool
Dolores School District No. Re-4A
DOLORES, 81323 / Rural: Distant
Kwiyagat Community Academy
State Charter School Institute
TAWOAC, 81334 / Rural: Remote
Mancos Early Learning Center
Mancos School District Re-6
MANCOS, 81328 / Rural: Remote
Pleasant View Elementary School
Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
PLEASANT VIEW, 81331 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$5,422
State avg $7,447
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Montezuma County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Colorado counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Colorado?
How should I read the school score in Montezuma County?
What is the graduation rate in Montezuma County?
How much does Montezuma County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Montezuma County, Colorado — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Montezuma County, Colorado?
Montezuma County features 19 public schools serving 3,689 students across three distinct school districts. The infrastructure includes nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools to support a growing student population.
How do schools in Montezuma County perform academically?
The county achieves a graduation rate of 84.6%, outperforming the state average of 83.1%. This success comes despite a per-pupil expenditure of $5,422, which is less than half of the national average spending of $13,000.
What are the major school districts in Montezuma County, Colorado?
The Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 is the largest, serving 2,449 students. Charter schools represent 21.1% of the county's schools, offering four unique alternative options for local families.
What is the school experience like in Montezuma County?
Fifteen of the county's 19 schools are located in rural areas, creating a quiet and focused learning atmosphere. While Montezuma-Cortez High School serves 601 students, the average school size across the county remains small at just 194 students.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.