The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Morton Elementary School
Morton Elementary School is a regular public school in Pueblo, Colorado, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Pueblo School District 60 system, a district that voters backed with a major bond measure in 2022 for facility improvements and safety upgrades, and which recently reverted to its original name after a period as Pueblo City Schools.
The school enrolls a moderate number of students for an elementary building, with classes spanning from pre-K through fifth grade and a slight bulge in the kindergarten and second-grade cohorts. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students who are white and a smaller number who are Black or multiracial. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is one marker of the economic circumstances families in the attendance zone navigate. Information on the percentages of students with disabilities or who are English learners was not available in the data examined.
On state assessments, Morton’s results show a clear area of focus for families to consider. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low, and in English language arts the share was low as well. These figures place the school above the midpoint when compared with a small set of other schools in Pueblo County that had comparable data, meaning that while the absolute numbers are modest, Morton is not an outlier relative to its immediate peers in the county. Science results for fifth grade were suppressed by the state, so a proficiency rate is not reported. Participation rates on the tests were in the mid-eighties percent, which is a relevant point to keep in mind when interpreting the scores.
The school’s setting in Pueblo matters for what families can expect outside the classroom. Pueblo is a mid-sized city with a strong industrial past, historically anchored by steel production, though the economy has since diversified into healthcare, education, and government. The city has a walkable historic downtown centered on the Arkansas Riverwalk and holds annual events like the Colorado State Fair and a Chile and Frijoles Festival. Away from the downtown core, the city is largely auto-oriented. Home values in the area around Morton are below Colorado’s state median, and rents are moderate relative to national benchmarks. The housing market has shown a slight decline in values over the past year, while rents have increased.
Pueblo School District 60’s recent history includes a large voter-approved bond that is funding facility improvements and safety projects across the district without raising the debt repayment mill levy. That bond work may affect Morton’s physical plant over time, though the data available does not specify which projects directly involve this school. The district also underwent a name change back to its original name in recent years, a rebranding that shapes how it presents itself.
For a parent assessing Morton Elementary, the academic picture is the clearest takeaway. Proficiency rates are below what many families hope for, and that is a fact to weigh alongside the school’s position relative to its county peers. The school serves a high-poverty population, which correlates with resource demands and support needs. What the data does not show—such as staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, or program offerings—leaves gaps that a prospective family would want to fill by talking directly with the school or visiting. The elementary grades go up through fifth, so middle school transition planning will eventually come into view. In a district that has made recent investments in facilities, Morton sits within a broader system that is actively changing.
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