The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on La Jara Elementary School
La Jara Elementary School serves students from preschool through fifth grade in the town of La Jara, a small rural community in the San Luis Valley near the New Mexico border. The town has a historic downtown district and a compact layout, and it has been experiencing a modest population decline in recent years. The school is part of the North Conejos School District No. Re1J.
The student body at La Jara Elementary is closely split between two groups. About half of the students identify as Hispanic, and just under half identify as white, with very small numbers of students from other racial backgrounds. A substantial share of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic makeup of the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material. The enrollment is small for an elementary school serving these grade levels.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, La Jara Elementary posted a mix of results. In English language arts, roughly half of students scored at the proficient level or above for grades three through eight. In math, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower. For fifth graders taking the science assessment, about a third scored proficient or above. When compared with other schools in Conejos County, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the highest tier among the county’s three districts, though a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how those results translate to daily instruction and support.
Because this is an elementary school that does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that gap reflects the school’s grade band rather than any data omission. The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet school. The source material did not include information about specific programs, course offerings, discipline data, or staffing levels, so those aspects of the school experience are not covered in this account. The district recently secured voter approval for a mill levy override that generates additional annual funding for district operations, a measure that has a lasting effect on local property taxes and gives the district more resources to work with.
For a family considering this school, the picture is of a small, rural elementary school with a diverse student body in a town that is not growing. Academic results show a solid performance in English language arts relative to the other districts in the county, while math and science proficiency are areas where a parent may want to ask the school about instruction and intervention approaches. The school’s location in a historic downtown area and the district’s new funding stream are contextual factors, but the available data leaves many details about daily school life unaddressed.
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