Enrollment
863
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lakewood, CO
Bear Creek K-8 School
Federal NCES profile for Bear Creek K-8 School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080480000696
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bear Creek K-8 School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #13 of 13
- elementary schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 42.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Bear Creek K-8 School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bear Creek K-8 School ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in Lakewood, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480000696 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bear Creek K-8 School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bear Creek K-8 School
Bear Creek K-8 School is a large elementary school in Lakewood, Colorado, enrolling 863 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.6% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 90% of state schools at 863 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 107 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #86, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (40%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 432 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students) alongside Bear Creek K-8 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 K-8 School compares
Bear Creek K-8 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.6% | ▲ 11% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 863 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
863
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 62% in Colorado - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,124
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 432 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
71
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 46.3%
White 39.6%
Asian 7.3%
Two or More 4.4%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Bear Creek K-8 School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Bear Creek K-8 School.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 7.8%
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 K-8 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bear Creek K-8 School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~863 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bear Creek K-8 School's federal record.
- Compare Bear Creek K-8 School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. R-1'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 K-8 School
How many students attend Bear Creek K-8 School?
Bear Creek K-8 School has 863 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lakewood, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bear Creek K-8 School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bear Creek K-8 School is 16.9:1, which is 2% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bear Creek K-8 School?
42.6% of students at Bear Creek K-8 School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bear Creek K-8 School?
The largest demographic group at Bear Creek K-8 School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.3% of enrollment, in Lakewood, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bear Creek K-8 School?
Bear Creek K-8 School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 K-8 School rank among elementary schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Bear Creek K-8 School ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in Lakewood, 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 Lakewood on the city page.
Is Bear Creek K-8 School a good school?
Bear Creek K-8 School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Bear Creek K-8 School, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students), and Chatfield High School (1,808 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. R-1 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.