Enrollment
461
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Durango, CO
Escalante Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Escalante Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080348000456
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Escalante Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Colorado schools.
- #9 of 15
- public schools in Durango · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 32.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Escalante Middle School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Escalante Middle School ranks #9 of 15 public schools in Durango, CO.
School address
District: Durango School District No. 9-R · Colorado
NCES ID 080348000456 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Escalante Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Escalante Middle School
Escalante Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Durango, Colorado, enrolling 461 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 32.8% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 461 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 342 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #147.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 231 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durango School District No. 9-R spends $11,863 per pupil, 27% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Durango School District No. 9-R also operates Durango High School (1,352 students) and Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango (964 students) alongside Escalante Middle 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 Escalante Middle School compares
Escalante Middle 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 25% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.8% | ▼ 15% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
461
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 20% in Colorado - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
47.9%
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
$11,863
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 231 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.5 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
White 62.0%
Hispanic or Latino 24.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.7%
Two or More 5.2%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 62.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Escalante Middle School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durango School District No. 9-R, which includes Escalante Middle School.
$11,863
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 44.9%
Federal 6.6%
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 Escalante Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durango High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverview Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Needham Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Escalante Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,352
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 964
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- 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 (~461 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Escalante Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Escalante Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Durango School District No. 9-R'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 Escalante Middle School
How many students attend Escalante Middle School?
Escalante Middle School has 461 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Durango, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Escalante Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Escalante Middle School is 12.5:1, which is 25% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 20% 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 Escalante Middle School?
32.8% of students at Escalante Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Escalante Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Escalante Middle School is White at 62.0% of enrollment, in Durango, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Escalante Middle School?
Escalante Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Escalante Middle School rank among public schools in Durango?
By Resource Investment Index, Escalante Middle School ranks #9 of 15 public schools in Durango, 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 Durango on the city page.
Is Escalante Middle School a good school?
Escalante Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of 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 Durango School District No. 9-R?
Besides Escalante Middle School, Durango School District No. 9-R also operates Durango High School (1,352 students), Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango (964 students), and Park Elementary School (452 students). See the Durango School District No. 9-R 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.