Kemper Elementary School

Kemper Elementary School is one of the average-sized primary schools in CORTEZ, Colorado, run under Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1, with 339 students on its rolls from grades K through 5.

Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 comprises 10 schools with combined enrollment of 2,380 students; Kemper Elementary School is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Kemper Elementary School reports that 52% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school lists 22% Hispanic, 19% Native American, 5% multiracial. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 75%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.9:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 16.6:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 63% of students at Kemper Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Kemper Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 28.8%; this one delivers 27.6%.

In the broader community, Montezuma County reports that median household earnings sit near $65,244, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Montezuma County's 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,620 students), Kemper Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Children's Kiva Montessori School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Kemper Elementary School ranks 4th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 32.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Kemper Elementary School has fell 13%, going from 390 students in 2018 to 339 in 2025. The White share of enrollment increased from 47% to 52% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 16.6:1 in 2018 to 13.9:1 today.

Inside the community feed, 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.