Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

CORTEZ, Colorado — 10 schools

2,449
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$12,250
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 operates 10 public schools serving 2,449 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Colorado. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,380 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Montezuma County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,250 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 42.2% local, 42.0% state, and 15.9% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $52,169 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 29/100, ranked #119 of 144 in Colorado against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 221.8:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 43.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.2% White, 19.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian across the district's schools.

Montezuma-Cortez High School accounts for 25.1% of all Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 school enrollment varies 17× across entities

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 school enrollment ranges from 35 students (lowest) to 598 students (highest), a spread of 563 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 53.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 student-counselor ratio is 222:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 43.5% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

15.9%
Federal
42.0%
State
42.2%
Local

Funding Equity

29
Equity Score
119 / 144
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Montezuma County county, where this district is located.

$852
Studio/mo
$906
1 BR/mo
$1,180
2 BR/mo
$1,569
3 BR/mo
$1,850
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$52,169
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1.

White 54.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Multiracial 7.1%
Other 18.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 10
Schools with AP
3 AP courses total
221.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
43.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

School Enrollment
Montezuma-Cortez High School
598
Montezuma-Cortez Middle School
505
Mesa Elementary School
359
Kemper Elementary School
339
Southwest Open Charter School
Charter
131
Children'S Kiva Montessori School
Charter
130
Lewis-Arriola Elementary School
125
Battle Rock Charter School
Charter
88
Beech Street Preschool
70
Pleasant View Elementary School
35

Nearby Districts in Colorado

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1?

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 has 10 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 6 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 2,449 students.

How much does Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 spend per student?

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 spends $12,250 per student. The district has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #119 in Colorado.

What is the average teacher salary in Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1?

The average teacher salary in Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 is $52,169 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Montezuma County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1?

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 students are 54.2% White, 19.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1?

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #119 out of 144 districts in Colorado. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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