Trinidad School District 1 in the County of Las Animas And, CO

Original Research by School Decision on Trinidad School District 1 in the County of Las Animas And

Trinidad School District 1 serves the community of Trinidad in southeastern Colorado, covering kindergarten through twelfth grade across three schools: Fisher's Peak Elementary, Trinidad Middle School, and Trinidad High School. The district is the academic home for a student body with a Hispanic majority and a substantial white population, with small numbers of students identifying as multiracial, Black, American Indian, or Asian. It is a relatively small district.

An important caveat: the district brief searched for recent changes that would directly affect parents and found descriptions of existing programs -- a K-12 leadership program, STEM labs in all schools, a strategic plan with four focus areas, and an early-intervention program at the middle school. The brief could not confirm that any of these were initiated or significantly changed during a recent window, so they are noted as offerings a parent might want to ask about directly rather than as new developments.

On state assessments, the district's results are mixed. In English language arts at the elementary and middle school level, about a third of students met or exceeded the state's proficiency bar, which is a soft spot in the overall picture. Math proficiency was lower. Science results at both tested grade levels were also lower. A social studies test administered more than a decade ago shows a very low pass rate, though that data is quite old and the state's cut scores for the main subjects were revised in the years following. For a district of this size, a parent will want to look into these numbers with the school and ask what academic interventions and supports are in place. The overall proficiency index, which averages performance across all tested subjects and grades, places the district below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Las Animas County.

The district's chronic absenteeism rate falls in the bottom quartile among the county's districts, meaning a relatively high share of students are missing a significant number of school days. This is a substantial concern that a parent should raise with the school to understand the causes and what is being done in response. Per-pupil spending is in the middle range and lower half of the county's districts.

Trinidad is a community in a region with modest housing costs. The typical home value in the area is well below the Colorado state average, and rents are also lower. This makes the area comparatively affordable for families, though the trend in home values has been down slightly in the most recent period. The unemployment rate nationally has been steady, but the district-level economic picture is one where families may have tighter resources; the housing data suggests a typical local income would cover rent at a manageable share of earnings.

The district's high school graduation rate was not available in the data, so a parent should confirm that figure directly with the school.

For a family considering this district, the core picture is a small, affordable community school system serving a diverse student population. Academic proficiency rates are lower than the midpoint of the county's districts, particularly in math, and chronic absenteeism is high. A parent will want to probe how the district addresses both academic support and attendance to see whether this setting matches their child's needs. The existing program descriptions hint at some intentional frameworks, but without confirmation of recent implementation, the clearest next step is a direct conversation with the school.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

744

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 68%

Black 1%

White 28%

Asian 0%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

40%

50%

Gr 6

40%

69%

Gr 38

33%

46%

Math

Gr 3

42%

55%

Gr 6

11%

25%

Gr 38

18%

29%

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

Trinidad Middle School

Trinidad High School

Fisher's Peak Elementary School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

21%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

36%

Grades 3-8

Science

2 grades reported

29%

Grade 5

29%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

Grade 4

Grade 7

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$231,211

Year-over-year change-4.7%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$230K to $323K

vs. state typical0.43x

vs. national typical0.63x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
81082	Trinidad	$230K	-4.7%	77.3%
81091	Weston	$323K	-1.0%	0.9%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,250/mo

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
81082	Trinidad	$1,250	—	77.3%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,167/mo

Home price / national median income2.8x

Annual rent / national median income17.9%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$83/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$543,271 (-2.4% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.