Buena Vista School District No. R-31

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Buena Vista, Colorado - 5 schools

An equity score of 27/100 ranks Buena Vista School District No. R-31 #124 of 142 districts in Colorado (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,814 per pupil, Buena Vista School District No. R-31 ranks #107 of 180 Colorado districts by per-pupil spending (Colorado districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,032
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,814
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 operates 5 public schools serving 1,032 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Colorado. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Chaffee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,814 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 180 Colorado districts by per-pupil spending. See how Colorado compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 68.3% local, 21.8% state, and 9.8% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 27/100, ranked #124 of 142 in Colorado against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 266.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 31.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 74.0% White, 19.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Chaffee County High School, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.

Its largest campus is Avery/Parsons Elementary School, enrolling 383 students (41% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Chaffee County High School, at 15 students, a 26x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Avery/Parsons Elementary School accounts for 37.1% of all Buena Vista School District No. R-31 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Buena Vista School District No. R-31-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 school enrollment varies 26× across entities

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 school enrollment ranges from 15 students (lowest) to 383 students (highest), a spread of 368 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 student-counselor ratio is 267:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Buena Vista School District No. R-31 is typically wider than the Buena Vista School District No. R-31-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 chronic absenteeism rate is 31.1% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

9.8%
Federal
21.8%
State
68.3%
Local

Funding Equity

27
Equity Score
124 / 142
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Buena Vista School District No. R-31.

White 74.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.4%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 5.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 39.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Buena Vista School District No. R-31's schools, below the Colorado average of 47.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Chaffee County High School 58.7
  2. 2 The Grove Bvsd's Early Learning Program 38.1
  3. 3 Avery/Parsons Elementary School 35.2
  4. 4 Buena Vista High School 35.2
  5. 5 Buena Vista Middle School 30.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
266.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
31.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Buena Vista School District No. R-31

School Enrollment
Avery/Parsons Elementary School
383
Buena Vista High School
256
Buena Vista Middle School
211
The Grove Bvsd's Early Learning Program
60
Chaffee County High School
15

How Buena Vista School District No. R-31 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Colorado districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Monte Vista School District No. C-8 Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Estes Park School District R-3 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Weld County School District No. Re-9 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
North Conejos School District No. Re1j Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Ellicott School District No. 22 in the County of El Paso a Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Buena Vista School District No. R-31's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Colorado

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Buena Vista School District No. R-31

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Buena Vista School District No. R-31?

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 has 5 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,032 students.

How much does Buena Vista School District No. R-31 spend per student?

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 spends $13,814 per student. The district has an equity score of 27/100, ranking #124 in Colorado.

What is the demographic composition of Buena Vista School District No. R-31?

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 students are 74.0% White, 19.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Buena Vista School District No. R-31?

Buena Vista School District No. R-31 has an equity score of 27/100, ranking #124 out of 142 districts in Colorado.