Enrollment
714
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aurora, CO
Horizon Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080291001328
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- #8 of 16
- middle schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 44.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon Middle School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Middle School ranks #8 of 16 middle schools in Aurora, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080291001328 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon Middle School
Horizon Middle School is a large middle school in Aurora, Colorado, enrolling 714 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 714 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 157 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #33.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 357 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Discipline events run high: 186 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 714 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students) and Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students) alongside Horizon 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 Horizon Middle School compares
Horizon 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.0% | ▲ 14% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 714 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
714
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Colorado - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$14,137
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 357 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 162 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 40.6%
White 28.3%
African American 16.5%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.7, Horizon 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 Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah, which includes Horizon Middle School.
$14,137
Per student
-13%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 43.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Horizon Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Trail High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eaglecrest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grandview High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smoky Hill High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,852
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,851
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,684
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,297
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~714 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Horizon Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah'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 Horizon Middle School
How many students attend Horizon Middle School?
Horizon Middle School has 714 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aurora, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School is 14.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 5% 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 Horizon Middle School?
44.0% of students at Horizon Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 40.6% of enrollment, in Aurora, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Middle School?
Horizon Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Horizon Middle School rank among middle schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Middle School ranks #8 of 16 middle schools in Aurora, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Aurora on the city page.
Is Horizon Middle School a good school?
Horizon Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah?
Besides Horizon Middle School, Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students), Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students), and Eaglecrest High School (2,851 students). See the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah 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.