Enrollment
32
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Salida, CO
Horizons Exploratory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Horizons Exploratory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080633006413
👥 S:T ratio 68
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 88
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizons Exploratory Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Colorado.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Salida · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 38.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizons Exploratory Academy has class sizes smaller than 96% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizons Exploratory Academy ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Salida, CO.
School address
District: Salida School District No. R-32 · Colorado
NCES ID 080633006413 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-52% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.2%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizons Exploratory Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizons Exploratory Academy
Horizons Exploratory Academy is a small high school in Salida, Colorado, enrolling 32 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8:1, Horizons Exploratory Academy is leaner than roughly 96% of Colorado schools and 52% under the state's 16.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.2% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Colorado schools, with 32 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 21 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #9.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 59 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Salida School District No. R-32 also operates Longfellow Elementary School (449 students) and Salida High School (409 students) alongside Horizons Exploratory 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 Horizons Exploratory Academy compares
Horizons Exploratory 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 | 8:1 | ▼ 52% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.2% | ▼ 1% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 32 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
32
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
8:1
students per teacher
- 52% below state mean
Top 4% in Colorado - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.5%
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
$13,598
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 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 87.5%
Two or More 6.3%
African American 3.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Largest group: White at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Horizons Exploratory Academy is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salida School District No. R-32, which includes Horizons Exploratory Academy.
$13,598
Per student
-16%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.4%
State 28.6%
Federal 13.0%
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 Horizons Exploratory Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longfellow Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salida High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salida Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salida Early Childhood Center | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizons Exploratory Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 327
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 60
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar high 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 (~32 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizons Exploratory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Horizons Exploratory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Salida School District No. R-32'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 Horizons Exploratory Academy
How many students attend Horizons Exploratory Academy?
Horizons Exploratory Academy has 32 students enrolled. It is a high school in Salida, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizons Exploratory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizons Exploratory Academy is 8:1, which is 52% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 49% 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 Horizons Exploratory Academy?
38.2% of students at Horizons Exploratory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizons Exploratory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Horizons Exploratory Academy is White at 87.5% of enrollment, in Salida, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizons Exploratory Academy?
Horizons Exploratory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Horizons Exploratory Academy rank among public schools in Salida?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizons Exploratory Academy ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Salida, 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 Salida on the city page.
Is Horizons Exploratory Academy a good school?
Horizons Exploratory Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Colorado. 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 Salida School District No. R-32?
Besides Horizons Exploratory Academy, Salida School District No. R-32 also operates Longfellow Elementary School (449 students), Salida High School (409 students), and Salida Middle School (327 students). See the Salida School District No. R-32 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.