Enrollment
412
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denver, CO
Carson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Carson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080336000323
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carson Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #23 of 125
- schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 12.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Carson Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carson Elementary School ranks #23 of 125 schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336000323 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.4%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carson Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carson Elementary School
Carson Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 412 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.4% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Colorado average.
With 412 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 351 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #80.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 43/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students) and Northfield High School (2,137 students) alongside Carson 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 Carson Elementary School compares
Carson 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.4% | ▼ 68% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 412 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
412
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 51% in Colorado - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$15,336
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 73.7%
Hispanic or Latino 12.4%
Two or More 7.1%
African American 5.4%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.3, Carson 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 School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C, which includes Carson Elementary School.
$15,336
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.4%
State 16.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 Carson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- 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 (~412 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Carson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C'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 Carson Elementary School
How many students attend Carson Elementary School?
Carson Elementary School has 412 students enrolled. It is a public school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carson Elementary School is 15.8:1, which is 5% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 1% higher 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 Carson Elementary School?
12.4% of students at Carson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Carson Elementary School is White at 73.7% of enrollment, in Denver, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carson Elementary School?
Carson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Carson Elementary School rank among schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Carson Elementary School ranks #23 of 125 schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Carson Elementary School a good school?
Carson Elementary School earns 51/100 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 School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Carson Elementary School, School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students), Northfield High School (2,137 students), and South High School (1,950 students). See the School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Colorado
All public schools in Colorado
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C
All schools in this district
Schools in Denver
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.