602 E 3rd Street
Cortez, CO 81321

The band teacher has left my child alone twice in public. On one occasion she got into a strangers vehicle! The school dance was from 4:30 to 5:30. She gets home from school at 4:45. What smarty thought of that?! I'm tired of this school district. The 4 day school week only benefits the teachers? Then why are we still doing it? My child had to ask for help 2 different times from the math teacher because she thought it shouldn't be necessary?? Now that teacher has resigned, my daughter raised her grade and was still moved to a different math class. It seems like nobody cares about anything in this town.

The teacher "lost" my autistic sons 504 paper, when I asked about it she said he doesn't have one, he does. They then rewrote it and changed it to their liking, ganged up on me during meetings, and picked him out constantly. We've since switched schools to Utah and hes doing much better. If your son is high needs or special needs, they will make it a problem. Principal is nice, but the staff is who is really in charge and they are nasty people. The school councilor told me they treat autism and ADHD the same because "they are the same thing". The school is falling apart, ceiling tiles are falling down and the staff is rude.

As a member of the Cortez community, a father of five, and a teacher, I would say that Montezuma-Cortez High School is a strong school, working hard with limited resources. The administration may not appear to care when you are a student who is in trouble, and they have to be disciplinarians, but they do genuinely care about the students. Any one of the principals will go out of their way to help a student who asks and who is willing to work to achieve. The staff works very hard, as well, supporting students who are coming in at well below the state averages in reading, writing, and math, and they problem-solve, and work tirelessly to find ways to help students be successful. In addition, the school's career and technical education offerings are top-notch, offering courses in Fire Science, Emergency Services, Ag Technology, Catering, Technical Theatre, Film Making, Jewelry Making, and Computer Science to name a few. The high school band is a state champion ensemble for more years than I can count. The sports teams work very hard, and the coaches are very dedicated to not only improving students' athleticism, but also developing students of character. A high school will give a student what a student puts into it. Montezuma-Cortez High School has its shortcomings, but a student who attends this school can be highly successful if they try.