Enrollment
325
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Littleton, CO
Blue Heron Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Blue Heron Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080480001919
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue Heron Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Colorado schools.
- #18 of 22
- schools in Littleton · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 24.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue Heron Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Heron Elementary School ranks #18 of 22 schools in Littleton, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480001919 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Heron Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue Heron Elementary School
Blue Heron Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Littleton, Colorado, enrolling 325 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 325 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 334 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #221.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 650 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Blue Heron 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 Blue Heron Elementary School compares
Blue Heron 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 25% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.7% | ▼ 36% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 325 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
325
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 20% in Colorado - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.2%
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 55.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.0%
Asian 14.8%
Two or More 3.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 55.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Blue Heron 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Blue Heron Elementary 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 Blue Heron Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Similar 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 | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blue Heron Elementary 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 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 (~325 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue Heron Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Blue Heron Elementary 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 Blue Heron Elementary School
How many students attend Blue Heron Elementary School?
Blue Heron Elementary School has 325 students enrolled. It is a public school in Littleton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Heron Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Heron Elementary School is 12.5:1, which is 25% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 20% 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 Blue Heron Elementary School?
24.7% of students at Blue Heron Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Heron Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Blue Heron Elementary School is White at 55.4% of enrollment, in Littleton, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Heron Elementary School?
Blue Heron Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Blue Heron Elementary School rank among schools in Littleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Heron Elementary School ranks #18 of 22 schools in Littleton, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Littleton on the city page.
Is Blue Heron Elementary School a good school?
Blue Heron Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Blue Heron Elementary 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.