The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Science. The lowest is 10% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Brush Middle School
Brush Middle School serves grades six through eight as a regular public school in the town of Brush on the eastern Colorado plains. It is the only middle school in the School District No. Re-2 Brush, and its enrollment is about what you would expect for a rural district’s single middle school: a manageable student body that draws from the town and the surrounding agricultural area.
The student body is roughly evenly split between Hispanic or Latino students and White students, with very small numbers from other racial groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the local economic base of agriculture and ranching. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the reporting, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the proportion of students receiving special education or language support services.
State assessment results place Brush Middle School in the top portion among the handful of districts in Morgan County when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects and grade levels. That relative position is meaningful locally, but the absolute proficiency rates on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success are low across the board. In math, a small share of students scored at the proficient or advanced level. In English language arts, about a quarter of students met that bar. In eighth-grade science, roughly a third of students were proficient. The participation rates on the tests were high, so the results capture nearly all enrolled students. These figures suggest that while Brush Middle School compares favorably to other schools in the county, the majority of its students are still working below grade-level expectations in core subjects, and a family moving here should have a clear picture of the academic starting point.
The town of Brush is a compact, traditionally laid-out community where schools are integrated into the town fabric. Agriculture and ranching dominate the local economy, and the town’s identity is tied to its ranching heritage and the historic sugar beet industry. Brush High School’s mascot is the Beetdigger. The town has a library, a small museum in a former schoolhouse, and fairgrounds that host the annual Brush Rodeo and Morgan County Fair. Growth has been very slow, and the housing market is modestly priced relative to the state and national benchmarks. Most residents commute by car; there is no public transit system identified. For a family, this is a setting where school and community life are closely connected, and a student will likely know many of their classmates from an early age.
No information was available about programs such as advanced coursework, electives, or extracurricular offerings at Brush Middle School. Similarly, discipline data, chronic absenteeism rates, and staffing ratios were not reported. A parent should ask the school directly about the breadth of academic and enrichment opportunities for middle-grade students. The district brief turned up no recent significant changes or initiatives, so it is unclear whether there are any active improvement plans or new programs in the pipeline.
Brush Middle School sits in a district that serves a stable, rural community. Its academic results are a clear area of concern in absolute terms, even if they lead the county. Families who value a small-town environment where the school is a central civic institution may find this a good fit, but they will want to understand exactly how the school addresses below-grade-level attainment and what supports are in place for students who need them. The absence of key data points makes a direct conversation with the administration especially worthwhile before enrolling.
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