Telluride School District No. R-1

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.

Telluride, Colorado - 4 schools

An equity score of 66/100 ranks Telluride School District No. R-1 #29 of 142 districts in Colorado (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,870 per pupil, Telluride School District No. R-1 ranks #39 of 180 Colorado districts by per-pupil spending (Colorado districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

895
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$18,870
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Telluride School District No. R-1 operates 4 public schools serving 895 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Colorado. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 combined, 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 San Miguel County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,870 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 180 Colorado districts by per-pupil spending. See how Colorado compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 70.5% local, 25.2% state, and 4.3% 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 66/100, ranked #29 of 142 in Colorado against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 197.3:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 27.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 75.8% White, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Telluride Elementary School, with a diversity index of 40.5/100.

Its largest campus is Telluride High School, enrolling 298 students (37% of the district's total enrollment).

Telluride High School accounts for 33.3% of all Telluride School District No. R-1 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Telluride School District No. R-1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Telluride School District No. R-1 school enrollment varies 2.4× across entities

Telluride School District No. R-1 school enrollment ranges from 124 students (lowest) to 298 students (highest), a spread of 174 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Telluride School District No. R-1 student-counselor ratio is 197:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Telluride School District No. R-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 27.4% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Telluride School District No. R-1 is typically wider than the Telluride School District No. R-1-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

4.3%
Federal
25.2%
State
70.5%
Local

Funding Equity

66
Equity Score
29 / 142
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Telluride School District No. R-1.

White 75.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.9%
Multiracial 1.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 37.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Telluride School District No. R-1's schools, below the Colorado average of 47.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Telluride Elementary School 40.5
  2. 2 Telluride Intermediate School 39.1
  3. 3 Telluride High School 35.7
  4. 4 Telluride Middle School 35.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
14 AP courses total
197.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
27.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Telluride School District No. R-1

School Enrollment
Telluride High School
298
Telluride Intermediate School
237
Telluride Elementary School
140
Telluride Middle School
124

How Telluride School District No. R-1 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Colorado districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Yuma 1 School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
School District No. Re-50 Wiggins Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Las Animas School District No. Re-1 Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Lake County School District No. R-1 Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Ellicott School District No. 22 in the County of El Paso a Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Telluride School District No. R-1'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 Telluride School District No. R-1

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 Telluride School District No. R-1?

Telluride School District No. R-1 has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 895 students.

How much does Telluride School District No. R-1 spend per student?

Telluride School District No. R-1 spends $18,870 per student. The district has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #29 in Colorado.

What is the demographic composition of Telluride School District No. R-1?

Telluride School District No. R-1 students are 75.8% White, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Telluride School District No. R-1?

Telluride School District No. R-1 has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #29 out of 142 districts in Colorado.