Enrollment
382
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Golden, CO
Free Horizon Montessori
Federal NCES profile for Free Horizon Montessori, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080480001920
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Free Horizon Montessori earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Colorado schools.
- #9 of 9
- schools in Golden · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.1:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 15.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Free Horizon Montessori has class sizes larger than 86% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Free Horizon Montessori ranks #9 of 9 schools in Golden, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480001920 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Free Horizon Montessori compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Free Horizon Montessori
Free Horizon Montessori is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Golden, Colorado, enrolling 382 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.1:1 is larger than about 86% of Colorado schools and 21% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 382 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 369 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #358, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 406 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students) alongside Free Horizon Montessori.
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 Free Horizon Montessori compares
Free Horizon Montessori on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.1:1 | ▲ 21% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.2% | ▼ 61% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 382 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.1:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
382
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.2%
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
20.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in Colorado - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.6%
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
$13,124
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 74.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.8%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 1.3%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 74.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Free Horizon Montessori is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Free Horizon Montessori.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
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 Free Horizon Montessori Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Free Horizon Montessori's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- 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 (~382 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Free Horizon Montessori's federal record.
- Compare Free Horizon Montessori against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. R-1'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 Free Horizon Montessori
How many students attend Free Horizon Montessori?
Free Horizon Montessori has 382 students enrolled. It is a public school in Golden, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Free Horizon Montessori?
The student-teacher ratio at Free Horizon Montessori is 20.1:1, which is 21% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 28% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Free Horizon Montessori?
15.2% of students at Free Horizon Montessori are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Free Horizon Montessori?
The largest demographic group at Free Horizon Montessori is White at 74.6% of enrollment, in Golden, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Free Horizon Montessori?
Free Horizon Montessori has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Free Horizon Montessori rank among schools in Golden?
By Resource Investment Index, Free Horizon Montessori ranks #9 of 9 schools in Golden, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Golden on the city page.
Is Free Horizon Montessori a good school?
Free Horizon Montessori earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Free Horizon Montessori, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students), and Chatfield High School (1,808 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. R-1 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.