Enrollment
368
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pueblo West, CO
Desert Sage Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Sage Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080615001718
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Sage Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Pueblo West · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 50.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sage Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Pueblo West, CO.
School address
District: Pueblo County School District 70 · Colorado
NCES ID 080615001718 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Sage Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Sage Elementary School
Desert Sage Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pueblo West, Colorado, enrolling 368 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 368 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 292 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #249, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (43%) (diversity index 58/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pueblo County School District 70 spends $10,558 per pupil, 35% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pueblo County School District 70 also operates Pueblo West High School (1,540 students) and Pueblo County High School (1,148 students) alongside Desert Sage 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 Desert Sage Elementary School compares
Desert Sage 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.7% | ▲ 32% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 368 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
368
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Colorado - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$10,558
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 48.1%
White 42.7%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 3.0%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.2, Desert Sage Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pueblo County School District 70, which includes Desert Sage Elementary School.
$10,558
Per student
-35%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 53.2%
Federal 15.1%
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 Desert Sage Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pueblo County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swallows Charter Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sky View Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Winds Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Sage Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 677
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other 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 (~368 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sage Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sage Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pueblo County School District 70'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 Desert Sage Elementary School
How many students attend Desert Sage Elementary School?
Desert Sage Elementary School has 368 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pueblo West, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Elementary School is 17.5:1, which is 5% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Sage Elementary School?
50.7% of students at Desert Sage Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Sage Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Sage Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment, in Pueblo West, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sage Elementary School?
Desert Sage Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Sage Elementary School rank among schools in Pueblo West?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Pueblo West, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pueblo West on the city page.
Is Desert Sage Elementary School a good school?
Desert Sage Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. 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 Pueblo County School District 70?
Besides Desert Sage Elementary School, Pueblo County School District 70 also operates Pueblo West High School (1,540 students), Pueblo County High School (1,148 students), and Swallows Charter Academy (677 students). See the Pueblo County School District 70 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.