Enrollment
179
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Loveland, CO
Big Thompson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Big Thompson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080540000928
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Thompson Elementary School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #5 of 7
- elementary schools in Loveland · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 15.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Thompson Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Thompson Elementary School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Loveland, CO.
School address
District: Thompson School District R-2j · Colorado
NCES ID 080540000928 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Thompson Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Thompson Elementary School
Big Thompson Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Loveland, Colorado, enrolling 179 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 179 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 90 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #74, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 358 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Thompson School District R-2j also operates Loveland High School (1,354 students) and Mountain View High School (1,074 students) alongside Big Thompson 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 Big Thompson Elementary School compares
Big Thompson 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.5% | ▼ 60% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 179 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
179
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Colorado - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.4%
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
$15,018
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.0 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 78.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
African American 1.1%
Largest group: White at 78.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.8, Big Thompson 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 Thompson School District R-2j, which includes Big Thompson Elementary School.
$15,018
Per student
-8%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.1%
State 36.1%
Federal 9.8%
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 Big Thompson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loveland High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Loveland Classical School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thompson Valley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Vision Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Thompson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,354
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,074
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,032
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,005
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,005
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- 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 (~179 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Thompson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Big Thompson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Thompson School District R-2j'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 Big Thompson Elementary School
How many students attend Big Thompson Elementary School?
Big Thompson Elementary School has 179 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Loveland, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Thompson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Thompson Elementary School is 14.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 5% 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 Big Thompson Elementary School?
15.5% of students at Big Thompson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Thompson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Big Thompson Elementary School is White at 78.2% of enrollment, in Loveland, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Thompson Elementary School?
Big Thompson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Big Thompson Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Loveland?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Thompson Elementary School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Loveland, 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 Loveland on the city page.
Is Big Thompson Elementary School a good school?
Big Thompson Elementary School earns 39/100 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 Thompson School District R-2j?
Besides Big Thompson Elementary School, Thompson School District R-2j also operates Loveland High School (1,354 students), Mountain View High School (1,074 students), and Loveland Classical School (1,032 students). See the Thompson School District R-2j 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.