The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Science. The lowest is 25% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Kiowa Middle School
Kiowa Middle School serves roughly seventy students in grades six through eight and is the only public middle school in the small, rural town of Kiowa, which also holds the Elbert County seat. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is small enough that classroom dynamics and individual attention are shaped by that scale. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest Hispanic share and very small numbers of students identifying as two or more races; no students of other racial backgrounds were reported. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that signals a measurable level of economic need in the community.
On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success assessments, the school’s results are mixed and, overall, place it below the midpoint among districts in Elbert County. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of students scored proficient or above, a figure that parents may want to discuss with the school to understand how literacy instruction is structured and where supports are concentrated. In science, about a third of tested eighth graders reached proficiency. Math proficiency data for the school was suppressed, meaning the state did not release a precise figure, often because the tested group is too small to report reliably; the school did participate and the average scale score was available, but parents seeking a clear picture of math performance would need to inquire directly with the school or district.
Because Kiowa Middle School serves only early secondary grades, there is no graduation rate and no chronic absenteeism data available for this report. Similarly, information on discipline, course offerings, staffing ratios, and special education or English learner populations was not provided, so a full picture of student support systems and program breadth is incomplete. The school does not appear to have a Title I designation on file, though the free-lunch rate suggests it may serve a low-income population; this is worth clarifying.
Kiowa itself is a small, growing town with a pronounced rural character. The town’s website describes it as experiencing “tremendous growth,” and recent years have seen population and employment increases, along with rising home values. Housing costs in the Kiowa zip code, as measured by typical home values, are notably above both the Colorado state benchmark and the national benchmark, which may factor into family decisions about moving into the area. The town is car-dependent, with most residents commuting alone and average commute times that reflect the distance to larger employment centers such as Castle Rock. Amenities are limited: the civic core includes the county courthouse and town hall, but no parks, library branches, or public transit were identified in available sources. The district itself reported no major recent changes in policies or leadership, so the school environment appears stable in that regard.
For a family considering Kiowa Middle School, the takeaway is this: a very small school in a rural, growing town, where academic performance on state tests is below the county midpoint, with particular soft spots in ELA. The school’s size can foster close relationships but also means that program offerings and support services may be limited compared to larger middle schools. The community is tight-knit and expanding, but housing is expensive relative to the state, and the town offers few urban conveniences. Parents who value a small-school setting in a rural county-seat environment may find it a fit, but they will want to ask about curriculum breadth, math instruction, and how the school addresses the learning needs reflected in its state assessment results.
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