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C+

Garfield School District RE-2

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns

Serves Rifle, New Castle and Silt.

Rifle’s School Grade C+ better than 38% of Colorado school districts

Students
4,695
Schools
10
Spent per student
$14,167
CO $15,889
Students per teacher
17:1
Free or reduced lunch
48%
Debt
$56.2M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Garfield School District RE-2

  • Its letter, C+: results better than 38% of Colorado districts
  • Math proficiency 14 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 10 pts below the state
  • Spends 11% less per student than the CO average
  • 17 students per teacher
  • Debt of $56.2M, about $11,973 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C+: better than 38% of the 169 Colorado school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well below the state, 2021–22
C
GraduationFour-year graduation close to the state, class of 2023
C+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
C+Rifle 10,844C+New Castle 4,896C+Silt 3,743

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Rifle. Grade by grade →

PK–53 elementary schoolsThis district
6–8Rifle Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Rifle High SchoolThis district

Test scores vs. CO

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency18%
State average 31.8% · 2,230 students tested
Reading / language arts35%
State average 44.9% · 2,231 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)83%
State average 82.7% · 310 in the class

92% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$14,167 per student · 11% below CO
Spending
Classroom instruction 54%Support & administration 43%Other 3%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 44%State 48%Federal 8%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
4,526’20
4,613’21
4,662’22
4,786’23
4,695’24

Up 3.7% since 2020–21.

Students
Hispanic 57%White 40%Two or more races 2%Black <1%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

10 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Colorado’s other public schools.

Cactus Valley Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Silt
C+
462 students17:1
Highland Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Rifle
C−
451 students16:1
Graham Mesa Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Rifle
C
424 students19:1
Wamsley Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Rifle
C−
420 students26:1
Kathryn Senor Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · New Castle
C
275 students15:1
Elk Creek Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · New Castle
C+
272 students14:1
Rifle Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Rifle
C−
552 students15:1
Riverside School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · New Castle
C+
483 students14:1
Rifle High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Rifle
C+
778 students20:1
Coal Ridge High School
High · Grades 9–12 · New Castle
B
578 students20:1

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Colorado.