Other / mixed grade configuration · Aurora, CO

Dakota Valley Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Dakota Valley Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080291001671
0/100100/10051/100
👥 S:T ratio
33
🌟 Gifted program
70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Dakota Valley Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.

#26 of 70
schools in Aurora · Resource Index
51
Resource Index · Higher
16.8:1
students per teacher
21.7%
free-lunch eligible

Dakota Valley Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Dakota Valley Elementary School ranks #26 of 70 schools in Aurora, CO.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+45 students YoY

Dakota Valley Elementary School grew from 539 students in 2022-23 to 584 in 2023-24 (+8.3%).

Teacher FTE added 34.5 → 38.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Growing CCD campus

+45 students YoY 080291001671 · Aurora, CO Other · MID · TRAD

571 enr · 16.8:1 · 21.7% lunch · RII 51

Nearest enrollment peer: Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students)

Dakota Valley Elementary School grew from 539 students in 2022-23 to 584 in 2023-24 (+8.3%). Teacher FTE added 34.5 → 38.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Colorado schools → · Find another →

Dakota Valley Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Dakota Valley Elementary School reports 571 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Dakota Valley Elementary School compares

Dakota Valley Elementary School is a growing campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Colorado and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Colorado Colorado avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 16.8:1 ▲ 1% 16.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 21.7% ▼ 44% 38.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 571 top 22% - -

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

16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
571
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
21.7%
free-lunch eligible - 44% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher - 1% above state mean
Top 61% in Colorado - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$15,158
per pupil, district-wide - below Colorado avg of $17,910
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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 44.8%
Hispanic or Latino 22.6%
African American 15.2%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 7.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Largest group: White at 44.8% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 71.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, Dakota Valley Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah reports $15,158 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Dakota Valley Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Cherry Creek High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Cherokee Trail High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Eaglecrest High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Grandview High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Smoky Hill High School Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 In The County Of Arapah · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Dakota Valley Elementary School

How many students attend Dakota Valley Elementary School?

Dakota Valley Elementary School has 571 students enrolled. It is a public school in Aurora, CO. CCD year-over-year: 539 (2022-23) → 584 (2023-24), up 45.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Dakota Valley Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Dakota Valley Elementary School is 16.8:1, which is 1% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dakota Valley Elementary School?

21.7% of students at Dakota Valley Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dakota Valley Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Dakota Valley Elementary School is White at 44.8% of enrollment, in Aurora, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Dakota Valley Elementary School?

Dakota Valley Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.

How does Dakota Valley Elementary School rank among schools in Aurora?

By Resource Investment Index, Dakota Valley Elementary School ranks #26 of 70 schools in Aurora, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Aurora on the city page.

What other schools are in Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah?

Besides Dakota Valley Elementary School, Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students), Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students), and Eaglecrest High School (2,851 students). See the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah 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 2022-23) · 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.

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