Enrollment
303
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Crested Butte, CO
Crested Butte Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Crested Butte Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080447006629
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Crested Butte Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 6.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 303
- students enrolled
Crested Butte Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j · Colorado
NCES ID 080447006629 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Crested Butte Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Crested Butte Elementary School
Crested Butte Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Crested Butte, Colorado, enrolling 303 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.7% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the Colorado average.
With 303 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 172 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #81.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 147 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j spends $12,701 per pupil, 22% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j also operates Gunnison Elementary School (560 students) and Gunnison High School (410 students) alongside Crested Butte 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 Crested Butte Elementary School compares
Crested Butte 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 20% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.7% | ▼ 83% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 303 | top 61% | - | - |
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.
303
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.7%
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
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
58.1%
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
$12,701
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
Counselors2.1 FTE
Per 147 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
African American 1.0%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, Crested Butte 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 Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j, which includes Crested Butte Elementary School.
$12,701
Per student
-22%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.7%
State 21.0%
Federal 9.3%
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 Crested Butte Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gunnison High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crested Butte Secondary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gunnison Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Preschool | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Crested Butte Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 72/100
Similar elementary 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 (~303 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Crested Butte Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Crested Butte Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j'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 Crested Butte Elementary School
How many students attend Crested Butte Elementary School?
Crested Butte Elementary School has 303 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Crested Butte, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Crested Butte Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Crested Butte Elementary 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 Crested Butte Elementary School?
6.7% of students at Crested Butte Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Crested Butte Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Crested Butte Elementary School is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Crested Butte, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Crested Butte Elementary School?
Crested Butte Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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).
Is Crested Butte Elementary School a good school?
Crested Butte Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j?
Besides Crested Butte Elementary School, Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j also operates Gunnison Elementary School (560 students), Gunnison High School (410 students), and Crested Butte Secondary School (400 students). See the Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j district page for the complete list.
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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.