Original Research by School Decision on Arickaree Undivided High School
Arickaree Undivided High School serves grades six through twelve in the Arickaree School District R-2, based in the unincorporated community of Anton, Colorado, on the high plains of Washington County. Anton itself is a very small, rural place with a post office, a church, and a fire station but little else in the way of commercial or civic infrastructure. There is no downtown. The area is sparsely populated, and the everyday texture is quiet and remote. Housing values are very low, reflecting the area's isolation and limited economic base.
The school is small. Total enrollment is modest for a school covering middle and high school grades, with a handful of students at each grade level. About half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a meaningful share that indicates many families face economic pressure. The student population is predominantly White, with a Hispanic share that is notable and a very small number of Black students. No data was available for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports and programs.
State testing data for the most recent year was suppressed, meaning the number of students tested was too small to report publicly. Participation in the math and English language arts assessments was 100 percent, so the suppression reflects the school's tiny testing cohort rather than a lack of effort. Science results for eighth grade were also suppressed. Because the school covers non-tested grades, some of the missing data is simply a function of which grades the state tests. Still, a parent looking for proficiency trends will find little to go on here. The comparison with other districts in Washington County could not be calculated for proficiency, graduation rate, or chronic absenteeism because the school's data was suppressed. That is a genuine gap in what can be known from the public record.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It has no special designation that would signal a particular academic focus. No information was available about the range of courses offered, including Advanced Placement, career and technical education, or dual enrollment. A family interested in those pathways would need to contact the school directly. Similarly, there is no public data on discipline, staffing ratios, or attendance patterns.
The district itself did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or financial developments. That may reflect the district's small size and limited public footprint rather than an absence of activity.
For a family, this is a school that serves a remote, rural community with very small classes and a high degree of familiarity among students and staff. The academic picture is largely opaque from the data available, not because the school is performing poorly but because the numbers are too small to report. A parent who values close community ties and a quiet, low-pressure environment may find this a natural fit. A parent looking for evidence of academic performance, program breadth, or a vibrant student community will need to fill in those blanks through direct conversation with the school.
See more original research from School Decision →