Enrollment
1,557
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lafayette, CO
Centaurus High School
Federal NCES profile for Centaurus High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080249000107
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Centaurus High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Lafayette · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 26.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Centaurus High School has class sizes larger than 80% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Centaurus High School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Lafayette, CO.
School address
District: Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 · Colorado
NCES ID 080249000107 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
81.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Centaurus High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Centaurus High School
Centaurus High School is a large high school in Lafayette, Colorado, enrolling 1,557 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,557 students.
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 78 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #64, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 also operates Boulder High School (1,939 students) and Fairview High School (1,863 students) alongside Centaurus High 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 Centaurus High School compares
Centaurus High 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 16% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.5% | ▼ 31% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,557 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,557
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 80% in Colorado - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.6%
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
$15,316
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 90 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 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 64.5%
Hispanic or Latino 26.8%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 2.7%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Centaurus High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Boulder Valley School District No. Re2, which includes Centaurus High School.
$15,316
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.6%
State 13.3%
Federal 6.1%
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 Centaurus High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairview High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Broomfield High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peak to Peak Charter School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monarch High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Centaurus High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,939
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,863
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,693
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,447
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,431
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high 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 (~1,557 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Centaurus High School's federal record.
- Compare Centaurus High School against another school. Compare schools
- Boulder Valley School District No. Re2'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 Centaurus High School
How many students attend Centaurus High School?
Centaurus High School has 1,557 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lafayette, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Centaurus High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Centaurus High School is 19.2:1, which is 16% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Centaurus High School?
26.5% of students at Centaurus High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Centaurus High School?
The largest demographic group at Centaurus High School is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Lafayette, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Centaurus High School?
Centaurus High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Centaurus High School rank among public schools in Lafayette?
By Resource Investment Index, Centaurus High School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Lafayette, 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 Lafayette on the city page.
Is Centaurus High School a good school?
Centaurus High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado. 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 Boulder Valley School District No. Re2?
Besides Centaurus High School, Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 also operates Boulder High School (1,939 students), Fairview High School (1,863 students), and Broomfield High School (1,693 students). See the Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 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.