Enrollment
560
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gunnison, CO
Gunnison Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gunnison Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080447001968
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gunnison Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Gunnison · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 24.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Gunnison Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gunnison Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Gunnison, CO.
School address
District: Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j · Colorado
NCES ID 080447001968 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gunnison Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gunnison Elementary School
Gunnison Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gunnison, Colorado, enrolling 560 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 560 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 337 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #183.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 265 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j spends $12,701 per pupil, 22% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j also operates Gunnison High School (410 students) and Crested Butte Secondary School (400 students) alongside Gunnison 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 Gunnison Elementary School compares
Gunnison 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.6% | ▼ 36% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 560 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
560
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 26% in Colorado - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.1%
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
$12,701
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
Counselors2.1 FTE
Per 265 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 63.8%
Hispanic or Latino 30.9%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 63.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Gunnison 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 Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j, which includes Gunnison Elementary School.
$12,701
Per student
-22%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.7%
State 21.0%
Federal 9.3%
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 Gunnison Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crested Butte Secondary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gunnison Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crested Butte Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake Preschool | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Gunnison Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 303
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 72/100
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 (~560 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gunnison Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gunnison Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j'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 Gunnison Elementary School
How many students attend Gunnison Elementary School?
Gunnison Elementary School has 560 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gunnison, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gunnison Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gunnison Elementary School is 13.3:1, which is 20% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 15% 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 Gunnison Elementary School?
24.6% of students at Gunnison Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gunnison Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gunnison Elementary School is White at 63.8% of enrollment, in Gunnison, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gunnison Elementary School?
Gunnison Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Gunnison Elementary School rank among public schools in Gunnison?
By Resource Investment Index, Gunnison Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Gunnison, 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 Gunnison on the city page.
Is Gunnison Elementary School a good school?
Gunnison Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j?
Besides Gunnison Elementary School, Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j also operates Gunnison High School (410 students), Crested Butte Secondary School (400 students), and Gunnison Middle School (314 students). See the Gunnison Watershed School District Re1j 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.