Enrollment
200
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Denver, CO
Compass Academy
Federal NCES profile for Compass Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080336006645Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Compass Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Colorado schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- #4 of 31
- middle schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 89.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Compass Academy has class sizes smaller than 92% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Academy ranks #4 of 31 middle schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336006645 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+131% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Compass Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Compass Academy
Compass Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter middle school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 200 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10:1, Compass Academy is leaner than roughly 92% of Colorado schools and 40% under the state's 16.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 89.0% of students qualify for free meals, 131% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 200 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 45 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #17.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 185 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 91.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
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 Compass Academy.
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 Compass Academy compares
Compass Academy on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10:1 | ▼ 40% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.0% | ▲ 131% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 200 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
200
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 131% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 8% in Colorado - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
91.0%
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
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 185 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 92.0%
White 3.0%
African American 2.5%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.2, Compass Academy 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 Compass Academy.
$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 Compass Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Compass Academy'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 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.
Similar enrollment (~200 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Compass Academy's federal record.
- Compare Compass Academy 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 Compass Academy
How many students attend Compass Academy?
Compass Academy has 200 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Compass Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Compass Academy is 10:1, which is 40% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 36% 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 Compass Academy?
89.0% of students at Compass Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Compass Academy?
The largest demographic group at Compass Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment, in Denver, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Compass Academy?
Compass Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Compass Academy rank among middle schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Academy ranks #4 of 31 middle 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 middle schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Compass Academy a good school?
Compass Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Colorado schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Compass Academy, 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.