Tag: Colorado

According to itypemba, Conejos County is located in south-central Colorado and was established in 1861. It is the second oldest county in the state, after neighboring Rio Grande County. The county was named after the Conejos River, which runs through the area and is part of the larger Rio Grande River drainage basin. The name Conejos comes from Spanish for “rabbits,” a reference to the large number of rabbits found in the area. Conejos County covers an area of 2,503 square miles and has a population of 8,064 according to the 2019 U.S. Census estimates. The county seat is located at La Jara, which is also home to most county offices and services including a courthouse, sheriff’s office, library, museum and hospital. The earliest settlers to Conejos County arrived in 1851 when some pioneer families moved up from New Mexico and established ranches along both sides of the Conejos River valley near La Jara. Other settlers followed soon after as they sought out homesteads on what was then unclaimed land within Colorado Territory. The early economy of Conejos County was based primarily on ranching and farming with sheep being one of the most important livestock raising activities throughout much of its history. By 1900 there were more than 60,000 sheep grazing on public land within Conejos County alone. Today, agriculture still plays an important role in the local economy with crops such as hay, wheat, oats and barley being produced mainly for livestock feed or for sale at local markets or processing plants nearby. Other industries that are important to Conejos County include tourism (due to its proximity to several national parks) as well as timber harvesting from its large tracts of forested land managed by both private landowners and public entities such as US Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands located within its borders. Conejos County is served by three public school districts, all of which are part of the San Luis Valley Regional School District. The districts are Center Consolidated School District, La Jara Elementary School District and Sanford Consolidated School District. The three districts serve a combined total of approximately 1,700 students in grades K-12 across seven schools. Center Consolidated School District serves students in the town of Center and nearby rural areas and consists of four schools: Center Elementary (K-5), Center Middle (6-8), Center High (9-12) and Center Charter (K-8). La Jara Elementary serves students from the town of La Jara and has one school site offering classes from kindergarten through eighth grade. Sanford Consolidated School District serves students from the town of Sanford and nearby rural areas with one school site offering classes from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The San Luis Valley Regional School District provides educational opportunities for all students within its boundaries including those living in Conejos County. Its mission is to provide “quality educational programs that meet or exceed state standards” while also providing a safe learning environment for its students. The district offers a variety of programs such as Advanced Placement courses, college preparatory courses, career technical education pathways and special education services to meet the needs of all learners. In addition to traditional public school options, there are also several private schools located within Conejos County that offer alternative education choices for local families including Christian Academy at La Jara, Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Schools in Antonito and San Acacio Catholic Schools in San Acacio. Check lawschoolsinusa to learn more about Colorado law schools.