Enrollment
272
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · New Castle, CO
Elk Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Elk Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080624006396
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Elk Creek Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in New Castle · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 36.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Elk Creek Elementary has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Elk Creek Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in New Castle, CO.
School address
District: Garfield School District No. Re-2 · Colorado
NCES ID 080624006396 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.2%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elk Creek Elementary compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Elk Creek Elementary
Elk Creek Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in New Castle, Colorado, enrolling 272 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.2% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 272 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 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #118.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (47%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Garfield School District No. Re-2 spends $12,122 per pupil, 26% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Garfield School District No. Re-2 also operates Rifle High School (778 students) and Coal Ridge High School (578 students) alongside Elk Creek Elementary.
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 Elk Creek Elementary compares
Elk Creek Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 14% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.2% | ▼ 6% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 272 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
272
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 35% in Colorado - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.3%
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
$12,122
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 49.6%
White 47.4%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.9, Elk Creek Elementary is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garfield School District No. Re-2, which includes Elk Creek Elementary.
$12,122
Per student
-26%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 55.9%
Federal 6.5%
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 Elk Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coal Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rifle Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverside School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cactus Valley Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Elk Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~272 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Elk Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Elk Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Garfield School District No. Re-2'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 Elk Creek Elementary
How many students attend Elk Creek Elementary?
Elk Creek Elementary has 272 students enrolled. It is a public school in New Castle, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elk Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Elk Creek Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 14% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 9% 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 Elk Creek Elementary?
36.2% of students at Elk Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elk Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Elk Creek Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 49.6% of enrollment, in New Castle, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elk Creek Elementary?
Elk Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Elk Creek Elementary rank among public schools in New Castle?
By Resource Investment Index, Elk Creek Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in New Castle, 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 New Castle on the city page.
Is Elk Creek Elementary a good school?
Elk Creek Elementary earns 45/100 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 Garfield School District No. Re-2?
Besides Elk Creek Elementary, Garfield School District No. Re-2 also operates Rifle High School (778 students), Coal Ridge High School (578 students), and Rifle Middle School (552 students). See the Garfield School District No. Re-2 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.