Enrollment
470
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Colorado Springs, CO
Explorer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Explorer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080192001496
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Explorer Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #58 of 80
- schools in Colorado Springs · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 15.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Explorer Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Explorer Elementary School ranks #58 of 80 schools in Colorado Springs, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080192001496 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Explorer Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Explorer Elementary School
Explorer Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Colorado Springs, Colorado, enrolling 470 students.
At 15.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 470 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 401 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #297, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 470 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an spends $10,954 per pupil, 33% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an also operates The Classical Academy Charter (1,909 students) and Pine Creek High School (1,875 students) alongside Explorer 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 Explorer Elementary School compares
Explorer 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 | 15.7:1 | ▼ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.1% | ▼ 61% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 470 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
470
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 50% in Colorado - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$10,954
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 470 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 61.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.6%
Two or More 11.3%
African American 4.0%
Asian 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 61.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Explorer Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an, which includes Explorer Elementary School.
$10,954
Per student
-33%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.7%
State 48.4%
Federal 6.9%
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 Explorer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Classical Academy Charter | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pine Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Air Academy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rampart High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Explorer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,909
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,526
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,380
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~470 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Explorer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Explorer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an'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 Explorer Elementary School
How many students attend Explorer Elementary School?
Explorer Elementary School has 470 students enrolled. It is a public school in Colorado Springs, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Explorer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Explorer Elementary School is 15.7:1, which is 5% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 0% higher 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 Explorer Elementary School?
15.1% of students at Explorer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Explorer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Explorer Elementary School is White at 61.1% of enrollment, in Colorado Springs, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Explorer Elementary School?
Explorer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Explorer Elementary School rank among schools in Colorado Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Explorer Elementary School ranks #58 of 80 schools in Colorado Springs, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Colorado Springs on the city page.
Is Explorer Elementary School a good school?
Explorer Elementary School earns 38/100 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 Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an?
Besides Explorer Elementary School, Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an also operates The Classical Academy Charter (1,909 students), Pine Creek High School (1,875 students), and Liberty High School (1,526 students). See the Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an 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.