Original Research by School Decision on Silverton High School
Silverton High School is a regular public high school serving the remote mountain town of Silverton, Colorado. With an enrollment of fewer than twenty students across grades nine through twelve, it is one of the smallest high schools one might encounter. The school is the only high school in the Silverton School District, which in turn is the only school district in San Juan County—a county so sparsely populated that any comparison among its districts is essentially a single-entity reference point. Because of the very small student body, much of the data parents typically rely on to evaluate a school is simply not available for public reporting. State testing results, a four-year graduation rate, chronic absenteeism figures, and civil rights data are all absent. This is not unusual for a school of this size; Colorado’s accountability system often suppresses results when a small number of students could be individually identified, and many standard metrics are not published at all. A family considering Silverton High would need to ask the school directly about academic outcomes, curriculum scope, and postsecondary readiness offerings.
The student body is roughly evenly split between Hispanic and White students, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch—well above the level one sees in most districts statewide. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was missing from the available records, so a parent should inquire about those supports directly. With only about a dozen and a half students, the peer environment is intimate. Class sizes are necessarily very small, and every student is known individually. This can be a strength for some families and a limitation for others, depending on the social and academic experience they seek.
The school sits within the town of Silverton, a historic mining settlement that has remade itself as a tourism and outdoor-recreation destination. The entire town is a National Historic Landmark District, with preserved Victorian-era buildings and no chain stores or fast food. The economy is seasonal: summer brings crowds via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Million Dollar Highway, while winter is quieter, attracting backcountry skiers to Silverton Mountain. The year-round population is small, and the town is actively trying to attract remote workers and families while managing a tight housing market. Home values have risen noticeably in recent years, and the typical home is expensive relative to local incomes. A new affordable housing project broke ground in 2025, and the town was the first in Colorado to meet state affordable housing goals under a recent proposition. Still, developable land is limited, and housing availability is a pressing concern.
Public transit does not exist; most households own multiple vehicles, and the commute to Durango, about an hour south on a winding highway, is the primary connection to a larger employment and services base. Civic anchors include the town hall, county courthouse, and surrounding national forest land. The school campus sits within the compact town footprint, so it is walkable from much of the residential area.
The district’s recent history yielded little publicly reported information about changes in programming, staffing, or facilities. A parent researching Silverton High will find that the public record is thin across the board. What is clear is that the school operates in a context of extreme rurality, very low enrollment, and a community undergoing a slow transition from a mining past to a tourism-and-remote-work future. Families who value a small, close-knit school in a dramatic mountain setting with strong outdoor access may find this a natural fit. Families who want a broad array of course options, competitive athletics, or large peer groups will want to explore what the school actually offers, because the data does not show it. Inquiring directly with the principal or district office is likely the only way to get a full picture of what a student’s day-to-day experience would be.
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