Bethune Public Schools

Bethune Public Schools, a tiny K-12 campus in BETHUNE, Colorado, run under Bethune School District No. R- 5, enrolls 99 students, covering grades pre-K through 12. Compared to the state average of about 523 students per school, that is 81% below typical.

Operationally, Bethune Public Schools answers to Bethune School District No. R- 5, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Bethune Public Schools reports that the largest single group is Hispanic at 48%, but no single group is in the majority; the rest is composed of 46% White, 5% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 20% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Bethune Public Schools logs 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 7.8:1. The state averages around 14.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 72% of students at Bethune Public Schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Kit Carson County (around 54%), the school's rate is north of typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Bethune Public Schools sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 23.2%; this one delivers 18.4%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Kit Carson County put median household income runs about $70,259, about 20% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Bethune Public Schools is one of 9 public schools in Kit Carson County (combined enrollment of about 1,342 students).

Nearest neighbor: Burlington Middle School, around 7.6 miles off. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Bethune Public Schools at 7th of 8; the average score across the group is 26.1%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Looking at the recent track record. Bethune Public Schools's enrollment has decreased 12% since 2018, when it stood at 112 (now 99). The White share of enrollment edged down from 63% to 46% over that span.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.