Enrollment
318
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Boulder, CO
Bear Creek Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Bear Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080249000099
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bear Creek Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools.
- #2 of 10
- elementary schools in Boulder · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 3.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bear Creek Elementary School has class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bear Creek Elementary School ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Boulder, CO.
School address
District: Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 · Colorado
NCES ID 080249000099 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.2%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-92% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bear Creek Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bear Creek Elementary School
Bear Creek Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Boulder, Colorado, enrolling 318 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.2% free-meal eligibility runs 92% below the Colorado average.
With 318 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 154 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #43.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
10.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 also operates Boulder High School (1,939 students) and Fairview High School (1,863 students) alongside Bear Creek Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bear Creek Elementary School compares
Bear Creek Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▲ 13% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.2% | ▼ 92% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 318 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
318
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 92% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 77% in Colorado - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,316
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 75.2%
Two or More 9.4%
Asian 7.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 75.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.5, Bear Creek Elementary School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Boulder Valley School District No. Re2, which includes Bear Creek Elementary School.
$15,316
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.6%
State 13.3%
Federal 6.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bear Creek Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Broomfield High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centaurus High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peak to Peak Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bear Creek Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,939
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,863
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,693
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,557
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,447
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~318 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bear Creek Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Bear Creek Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Boulder Valley School District No. Re2's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bear Creek Elementary School
How many students attend Bear Creek Elementary School?
Bear Creek Elementary School has 318 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Boulder, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bear Creek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bear Creek Elementary School is 18.7:1, which is 13% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bear Creek Elementary School?
3.2% of students at Bear Creek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bear Creek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Bear Creek Elementary School is White at 75.2% of enrollment, in Boulder, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bear Creek Elementary School?
Bear Creek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bear Creek Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Boulder?
By Resource Investment Index, Bear Creek Elementary School ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Boulder, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Boulder on the city page.
Is Bear Creek Elementary School a good school?
Bear Creek Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Boulder Valley School District No. Re2?
Besides Bear Creek Elementary School, Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 also operates Boulder High School (1,939 students), Fairview High School (1,863 students), and Broomfield High School (1,693 students). See the Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.