Enrollment
524
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Castle Rock, CO
Buffalo Ridge Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Buffalo Ridge Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080345001577
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buffalo Ridge Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Colorado schools.
- #12 of 14
- schools in Castle Rock · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 6.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Buffalo Ridge Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Ridge Elementary School ranks #12 of 14 schools in Castle Rock, CO.
School address
District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080345001577 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buffalo Ridge Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School
Buffalo Ridge Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Castle Rock, Colorado, enrolling 524 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.2:1 is larger than about 86% of Colorado schools and 22% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.6% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 524 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #276, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 509 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Douglas County School District No. Re 1 spends $11,848 per pupil, 27% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students) and Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students) alongside Buffalo Ridge 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 Buffalo Ridge Elementary School compares
Buffalo Ridge 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 | 20.2:1 | ▲ 22% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.6% | ▼ 83% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 524 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
524
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 86% in Colorado - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$11,848
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 509 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 69.1%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 5.7%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 69.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.7, Buffalo Ridge Elementary School is about as mixed as the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Douglas County School District No. Re 1, which includes Buffalo Ridge Elementary School.
$11,848
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 40.8%
Federal 6.4%
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 Buffalo Ridge Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rock Canyon High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Legend High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain Vista High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buffalo Ridge Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,803
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,325
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,206
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~524 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buffalo Ridge Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Buffalo Ridge Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Douglas County School District No. Re 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 Buffalo Ridge Elementary School
How many students attend Buffalo Ridge Elementary School?
Buffalo Ridge Elementary School has 524 students enrolled. It is a public school in Castle Rock, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School is 20.2:1, which is 22% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School?
6.6% of students at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buffalo Ridge Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School is White at 69.1% of enrollment, in Castle Rock, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buffalo Ridge Elementary School?
Buffalo Ridge Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Buffalo Ridge Elementary School rank among schools in Castle Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, Buffalo Ridge Elementary School ranks #12 of 14 schools in Castle Rock, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Castle Rock on the city page.
Is Buffalo Ridge Elementary School a good school?
Buffalo Ridge Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Douglas County School District No. Re 1?
Besides Buffalo Ridge Elementary School, Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students), Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students), and Legend High School (2,206 students). See the Douglas County School District No. Re 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.