Enrollment
763
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Brighton, CO
Foundations Academy
Federal NCES profile for Foundations Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080258006465Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foundations Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #8 of 17
- public schools in Brighton · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- students per teacher
- 21.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Foundations Academy has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foundations Academy ranks #8 of 17 public schools in Brighton, CO.
School address
District: School District 27j · Colorado
NCES ID 080258006465 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foundations Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foundations Academy
Foundations Academy is a large charter elementary school in Brighton, Colorado, enrolling 763 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 763 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 253 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #206, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (45%) (diversity index 54/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding School District 27j spends $10,462 per pupil, 36% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
School District 27j also operates Colorado Connections Academy (2,042 students) and Prairie View High School (1,809 students) alongside Foundations Academy.
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 Foundations Academy compares
Foundations Academy on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 7% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.1% | ▼ 45% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 763 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
763
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 69% in Colorado - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.9%
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
$10,462
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
3
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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 50.6%
Hispanic or Latino 44.8%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 1.0%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.2, Foundations Academy is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District 27j, which includes Foundations Academy.
$10,462
Per student
-36%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 47.7%
Federal 7.8%
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 Foundations Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Connections Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie View High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverdale Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brighton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bromley East Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Foundations Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,042
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 1,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,784
- Students per teacher
- 29.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,733
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,214
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary 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 (~763 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foundations Academy's federal record.
- Compare Foundations Academy against another school. Compare schools
- School District 27j'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 Foundations Academy
How many students attend Foundations Academy?
Foundations Academy has 763 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Brighton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foundations Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Foundations Academy is 17.7:1, which is 7% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Foundations Academy?
21.1% of students at Foundations Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foundations Academy?
The largest demographic group at Foundations Academy is White at 50.6% of enrollment, in Brighton, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foundations Academy?
Foundations Academy 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 Foundations Academy rank among public schools in Brighton?
By Resource Investment Index, Foundations Academy ranks #8 of 17 public schools in Brighton, 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 Brighton on the city page.
Is Foundations Academy a good school?
Foundations Academy 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 School District 27j?
Besides Foundations Academy, School District 27j also operates Colorado Connections Academy (2,042 students), Prairie View High School (1,809 students), and Riverdale Ridge High School (1,784 students). See the School District 27j 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.