Is Kemper Elementary School a good school?

Kemper Elementary School ranks 566 th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Kemper Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 357 students attended Kemper Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Kemper Elementary School?

Students at Kemper Elementary School are 47% White, 22% Hispanic, 21% American Indian, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Kemper Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kemper Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Montezuma-Cortez Middle School High : Montezuma-Cortez High School

Kemper Elementary School

Summary:

Kemper Elementary School is a public elementary school in Cortez, Colorado, serving 357 students in grades K-5. The school faces significant challenges, including low academic performance, a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and a relatively high student-teacher ratio.

Academically, Kemper Elementary has struggled, with only 33.5% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 26.5% proficient in math, well below the state averages. The school's science proficiency rate for 5th graders is slightly better at 44.1%, but still lags the state's 37.9%. Kemper's performance has declined over the past few years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 278 out of 710 Colorado elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 566 out of 943 in 2023-2024. In contrast, nearby schools like Lewis-Arriola Elementary and Battle Rock Charter School have higher proficiency rates in ELA and math.

Kemper Elementary's student population is diverse, with around 47% White, 22% Hispanic, and 21% Native American students. However, the school faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with 69.75% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the state average. This is in contrast to nearby schools like Lewis-Arriola Elementary and Battle Rock Charter, which have lower percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Addressing these issues will be crucial for Kemper Elementary to improve student outcomes and provide a high-quality education for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

620 East Montezuma
Cortez, CO 81321-3332

(970) 565-3737

District: Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
566^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,422

Students who attend Kemper Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Montezuma-Cortez Middle School
High:	Montezuma-Cortez High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.6

Number of students: 357

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.3%

Hispanic:

21.8%

American Indian:

21.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 69.7%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Kemper Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kemper Elementary School ranks worse than 60% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.28. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Kemper Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kemper Elementary School is $15,422, which is the 3^rd highest among 3 elementary schools in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kemper Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kemper Elementary School 566^th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Kemper Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

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Your rating for Kemper Elementary School?

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Rank History for Kemper Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Kemper Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	26.55	622^nd	808	23.0%
2005	19.65	686^th	823	16.6%
2006	25.65	652^nd	829	21.4%
2007	17.32	723^rd	852	15.1%
2008	23.50	683^rd	849	19.6%
2009	16.09	745^th	872	14.6%
2010	18.71	771^st	925	16.6%
2011	15.76	809^th	935	13.5%
2012	21.41	762^nd	935	18.5%
2013	14.37	831^st	954	12.9%
2014	12.74	864^th	962	10.2%
2015	17.09	792^nd	938	15.6%
2016	21.18	721^st	914	21.1%
2017	14.11	819^th	929	11.8%
2018	19.32	737^th	917	19.6%
2019	22.02	750^th	965	22.3%
2021	63.46	278^th	710	60.8%
2022	32.31	594^th	921	35.5%
2023	25.05	671^st	933	28.1%
2024	34.28	566^th	943	40.0%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kemper Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	14.50	316^th	332	4.8%
2021	61.43	26^th	75	65.3%
2022	45.34	99^th	203	51.2%
2023	27.67	215^th	265	18.9%
2024	34.93	246^th	365	32.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Kemper Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	7.77	674^th	690	2.3%
2019	15.06	669^th	758	11.7%
2021	46.10	234^th	351	33.3%
2022	24.63	452^nd	595	24.0%
2023	18.96	522^nd	642	18.7%
2024	35.92	441^st	684	35.5%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Kemper Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	22.01	546^th	693	21.2%
2019	29.44	525^th	764	31.3%
2021	60.37	169^th	352	52.0%
2022	37.71	357^th	594	39.9%
2023	19.01	535^th	649	17.6%
2024	27.15	474^th	683	30.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Kemper Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	17.33	301^st	337	10.7%
2019	18.53	516^th	596	13.4%
2021	56.46	145^th	288	49.7%
2022	33.35	338^th	454	25.6%
2023	19.34	462^nd	525	12.0%
2024	25.21	436^th	539	19.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Kemper Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	306	0	0	35	52	n/a	n/a	393
1989	301	0	2	39	56	n/a	n/a	398
1990	323	0	0	34	58	n/a	n/a	415
1991	303	0	5	36	57	n/a	n/a	401
1992	304	0	0	57	67	n/a	n/a	428
1993	288	0	0	44	78	n/a	n/a	410
1994	297	0	0	44	91	n/a	n/a	432
1995	241	0	1	47	102	n/a	n/a	391
1996	241	0	1	47	102	n/a	n/a	391
1997	211	0	4	31	89	n/a	n/a	335
1998	205	0	6	30	78	n/a	n/a	319
1999	198	0	5	26	79	n/a	n/a	308
2000	210	0	4	38	80	n/a	n/a	332
2001	194	1	5	31	89	n/a	n/a	320
2002	188	3	1	41	75	n/a	n/a	308
2003	188	3	1	41	75	n/a	n/a	308
2004	197	3	4	39	72	n/a	n/a	315
2005	175	1	3	44	76	n/a	n/a	299
2006	171	1	2	62	76	n/a	n/a	312
2007	143	4	0	56	80	n/a	n/a	283
2008	204	3	2	86	98	n/a	n/a	393
2009	233	3	5	98	99	n/a	n/a	438
2010	227	3	3	78	104	n/a	n/a	415
2011	235	1	2	60	96	0	10	404
2012	197	2	2	57	95	0	10	363
2013	210	0	1	81	93	0	9	394
2014	204	0	0	85	96	1	13	399
2015	176	1	1	74	92	1	11	356
2016	183	1	2	86	101	0	12	385
2017	175	2	3	93	92	0	18	383
2018	182	1	2	88	96	0	21	390
2019	173	1	5	74	99	0	17	369
2020	180	0	6	77	93	0	23	379
2021	177	0	5	78	84	0	19	363
2022	158	0	6	67	78	0	24	333
2023	169	0	4	78	76	0	30	357

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kemper Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	393	21.9	17.9	n/a
1989	398	21.7	18.3	28.9
1990	415	22.7	18.2	33.7
1991	401	21.2	18.9	28.4
1992	428	23.0	18.6	29.2
1993	410	23.5	17.4	33.9
1994	432	24.6	17.6	36.3
1995	391	25.0	15.6	39.6
1996	391	25.0	15.6	39.6
1997	335	21.0	16.0	40.3
1998	319	20.0	16.0	40.1
1999	308	23.4	13.2	43.2
2000	332	23.8	13.9	57.5
2001	320	22.5	14.2	62.2
2002	308	22.0	14.0	56.2
2003	308	22.0	14.0	56.2
2004	315	20.5	15.4	52.7
2005	299	21.8	13.7	62.9
2006	312	22.6	13.8	58.7
2007	283	23.6	12.0	59
2008	393	23.0	17.1	57.8
2009	438	25.1	17.5	56.6
2010	415	24.6	16.8	64.6
2011	404	22.9	17.6	64.1
2012	363	23.5	15.4	63.6
2013	394	22.9	17.1	64
2014	399	23.5	16.9	66.7
2015	356	23.0	15.4	69.9
2016	385	22.0	17.5	66
2017	383	21.5	17.8	76
2018	390	23.5	16.5	70.8
2019	369	22.7	16.2	71.8
2020	379	24.0	15.7	62
2021	363	20.8	17.3	52.6
2022	333	20.4	16.3	60.1
2023	357	21.4	16.6	69.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Kemper Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	393	21.9	17.9	n/a
1989	398	21.7	18.3	28.9
1990	415	22.7	18.2	33.7
1991	401	21.2	18.9	28.4
1992	428	23.0	18.6	29.2
1993	410	23.5	17.4	33.9
1994	432	24.6	17.6	36.3
1995	391	25.0	15.6	39.6
1996	391	25.0	15.6	39.6
1997	335	21.0	16.0	40.3
1998	319	20.0	16.0	40.1
1999	308	23.4	13.2	43.2
2000	332	23.8	13.9	57.5
2001	320	22.5	14.2	62.2
2002	308	22.0	14.0	56.2
2003	308	22.0	14.0	56.2
2004	315	20.5	15.4	52.7
2005	299	21.8	13.7	62.9
2006	312	22.6	13.8	58.7
2007	283	23.6	12.0	59
2008	393	23.0	17.1	57.8
2009	438	25.1	17.5	56.6
2010	415	24.6	16.8	64.6
2011	404	22.9	17.6	64.1
2012	363	23.5	15.4	63.6
2013	394	22.9	17.1	64
2014	399	23.5	16.9	66.7
2015	356	23.0	15.4	69.9
2016	385	22.0	17.5	66
2017	383	21.5	17.8	76
2018	390	23.5	16.5	70.8
2019	369	22.7	16.2	71.8
2020	379	24.0	15.7	62
2021	363	20.8	17.3	52.6
2022	333	20.4	16.3	60.1
2023	357	21.4	16.6	69.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kemper Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,549
2020	$10,417
2021	$11,414
2022	$12,608
2023	$15,422

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kemper Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 750^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 671^st of 933 Elementary schools	5.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kemper Elementary School)	27.4	15.7	11.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	25.1	17.6	7.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Kemper Elementary School)	19.4	21.7	2.3%
3rd Grade Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	28.4	22.8	5.6%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kemper Elementary School)	39	28.8	10.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	36.5	29.2	7.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Kemper Elementary School)	11.9	27.1	15.2%
4th Grade Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	12.6	21.1	8.5%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Kemper Elementary School)	23.3	31.1	7.8%
5th Grade Science (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	22.7	21	1.7%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kemper Elementary School)	38.3	40.5	2.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	32.4	33.2	0.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Kemper Elementary School)	20	15.3	4.7%
5th Grade Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	20.9	19.5	1.4%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Kemper Elementary School)	34.8	28.6	6.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	31.5	27.4	4.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Kemper Elementary School)	17.1	21	3.9%
All Grades Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	17.3	18.1	0.8%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	369	357	3.3%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	99	76	23.2%
Asian	5	4	20%
Hispanic	74	78	5.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	173	169	2.3%
Two or More Races	17	30	76.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71.8%	69.7%	2.1%

Schools Near Kemper Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)				CMAS Math (2024)				CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Kemper Elementary School	Public	K-5	620 East Montezuma	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3737	357	21	16.6	69.7%	169 (47.3%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (21.8%)	4 (1.1%)	76 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (8.4%)	34.3	566^th of 943 public elementary schools	40.0%		25.1	671^st of 933 public elementary schools	28.1%	105	34.3	24.3	44.1	33.5	37.3	12.2	32.2	26.5	44.1	$15,422
Children's Kiva Montessori School	Public, Charter	K-8	601 North Mildred	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 564-9377	142	12	11.5	60.6%	60 (42.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (19.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (27.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (10.6%)								(n/a)		23.5		26.2						$12,405
Mesa Elementary School	Public	K-5	703 West 7th Street	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3858	400	20	19.5	80.3%	118 (29.5%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (20.5%)	0 (0.0%)	157 (39.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (10.8%)	14.7	812^th of 943 public elementary schools	13.9%		11.5	868^th of 933 public elementary schools	7.0%	56	21.4	25.0	19.5	22.1	26.8	22.8	9.1	18.9	7.9	$14,745
Lewis-Arriola Elementary School	Public	K-5	21434 Road U	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 882-4494	118	8	15.7	45.8%	102 (86.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	65.2	311^th of 943 public elementary schools	67.0%		58.8	354^th of 933 public elementary schools	62.1%	43	52.4	35.0	43.8	43.9	57.1	50.0	62.5	56.1	43.8	$15,650
Dolores Elementary School	Public	K-5	12th And Hillside	Dolores	81323	Montezuma County	Dolores School District No. Re-4A	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 882-4688	269	20	13.1	43.9%	211 (78.4%)	1 (0.4%)	32 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)	42.4	501^st of 943 public elementary schools	46.9%		35.7	557^th of 933 public elementary schools	40.3%	56	46.9	29.2	34.6	36.9	46.0	27.1	30.8	34.7	41.5	$12,649
Kwiyagat Community Academy	Public, Charter	K-3	450 Sunset Blvd	Towaoc	81334	Montezuma County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 564-5348	48	4	13.3	93.8%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$18,753
Battle Rock Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	11247 County Road G	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3237	83	6	13.3	47.0%	53 (63.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.6%)								(n/a)								16.7		$10,436
Mancos Elementary School	Public	K-5	301 Grand Avenue	Mancos	81328	Montezuma County	Mancos School District Re-6	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 533-7744	198	17	11.6	54.5%	148 (74.7%)	2 (1.0%)	37 (18.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$14,564
Pleasant View Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	15238 County Road Cc	Pleasant View	81331	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 562-4286	29	2	19.3	65.5%	26 (89.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.9%)								(n/a)										$16,410

Kemper Elementary School

Kemper Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

What do you think?

Rank History for Kemper Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Kemper Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kemper Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Kemper Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Kemper Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Kemper Elementary School

Enrollment information for Kemper Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kemper Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Kemper Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kemper Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Kemper Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Kemper Elementary School