Middle school (grades 6-8) · La Jara, CO

Centauri Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Centauri Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080510000842
0/100100/10044/100
👥 S:T ratio
47
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
58
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Centauri Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools.

#1 of 3
public schools in La Jara · Resource Index
44
Resource Index · Typical
13.2:1
small classes for Colorado
49.1%
free-lunch eligible

Centauri Middle School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Centauri Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in La Jara, CO.

Enrollment

211

Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

16.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

13.2:1

vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg

-20% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

49.1%

vs 38.5% Colorado avg

+28% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Centauri Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Centauri Middle School

Centauri Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in La Jara, Colorado, enrolling 211 students.

Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 49.1% of students eligible for free meals.

Enrollment of 211 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.

Against 157 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #90.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (46%) (diversity index 50/100).

Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding North Conejos School District No. Re1j spends $10,600 per pupil, 35% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

North Conejos School District No. Re1j also operates Centauri High School (301 students) and La Jara Elementary School (195 students) alongside Centauri Middle 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 Centauri Middle School compares

Centauri Middle 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 13.2:1 ▼ 20% 16.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 49.1% ▲ 28% 38.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 211 top 75% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
211
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
49.1%
free-lunch eligible - 28% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher - 20% below state mean
Top 25% in Colorado - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
52.6%
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
$10,600
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 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.

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 53.1%
White 46.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 50.3/100

Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, Centauri Middle School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Conejos School District No. Re1j, which includes Centauri Middle School.

$10,600
Per student
-35%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.2%
State 82.7%
Federal 9.1%

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 Centauri Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Centauri High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
La Jara Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Manassa Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
North Conejos Alternative Program Smaller Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Centauri Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

North Conejos School District No. Re1j · 4 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Centauri Middle School's federal record.

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 Centauri Middle School

How many students attend Centauri Middle School?

Centauri Middle School has 211 students enrolled. It is a middle school in La Jara, CO.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Centauri Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Centauri Middle School is 13.2:1, which is 20% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 16% 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 Centauri Middle School?

49.1% of students at Centauri Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Centauri Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Centauri Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment, in La Jara, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Centauri Middle School?

Centauri Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Centauri Middle School rank among public schools in La Jara?

By Resource Investment Index, Centauri Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in La Jara, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in La Jara on the city page.

Is Centauri Middle School a good school?

Centauri Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 North Conejos School District No. Re1j?

Besides Centauri Middle School, North Conejos School District No. Re1j also operates Centauri High School (301 students), La Jara Elementary School (195 students), and Manassa Elementary School (190 students). See the North Conejos School District No. Re1j district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved

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.