Enrollment
248
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pueblo, CO
Bessemer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Bessemer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080612001031
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bessemer Elementary School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #6 of 24
- schools in Pueblo · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 83.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Bessemer Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer Elementary School ranks #6 of 24 schools in Pueblo, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080612001031 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+118% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bessemer Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bessemer Elementary School
Bessemer Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pueblo, Colorado, enrolling 248 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.9% of students qualify for free meals, 118% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 248 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 91 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and White (24%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 241 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and spends $12,481 per pupil, 23% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and also operates Central High School (1,145 students) and East High School (1,081 students) alongside Bessemer 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 Bessemer Elementary School compares
Bessemer 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.9% | ▲ 118% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 248 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
248
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 118% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 38% in Colorado - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$12,481
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 241 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 66.9%
White 23.8%
African American 4.0%
Two or More 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.3, Bessemer Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and, which includes Bessemer Elementary School.
$12,481
Per student
-23%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 55.1%
Federal 15.9%
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 Bessemer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chavez/Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Centennial High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bessemer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,145
- Students per teacher
- 29.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,081
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 844
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other 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 (~248 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bessemer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Bessemer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and'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 Bessemer Elementary School
How many students attend Bessemer Elementary School?
Bessemer Elementary School has 248 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pueblo, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bessemer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bessemer Elementary School is 14.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bessemer Elementary School?
83.9% of students at Bessemer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bessemer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Bessemer Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 66.9% of enrollment, in Pueblo, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bessemer Elementary School?
Bessemer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bessemer Elementary School rank among schools in Pueblo?
By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer Elementary School ranks #6 of 24 schools in Pueblo, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pueblo on the city page.
Is Bessemer Elementary School a good school?
Bessemer Elementary School earns 54/100 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 Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and?
Besides Bessemer Elementary School, Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and also operates Central High School (1,145 students), East High School (1,081 students), and Chavez/Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy (844 students). See the Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and district page for the complete list.
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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.