Enrollment
522
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 080453001902 Charter school
James Irwin Charter Elementary School — Colorado Springs, CO
Federal NCES profile for James Irwin Charter Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 18/100.
👥 Class size 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.3%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Irwin Charter Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
James Irwin Charter Elementary School reports 522 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 23.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 40% above the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 48% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 32.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 16% below the Colorado average and 38% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Harrison School District No. 2 in the County of El Paso an spends $17,595 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 24.7% from local sources (property taxes), 60.0% from the state, and 15.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James Irwin Charter Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Colorado state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.6:1 | ▲ 40% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.3% | ▼ 16% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 522 | top 73% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
32.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 16% 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
23.6:1
students per teacher
— 40% above state mean
Top 95% in Colorado — lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$17,595
per pupil, district-wide
— below Colorado avg of $20,949
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 522 Top 73% in Colorado — larger than 27% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 23.6:1 +40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 32.3% -16% vs state
NCES ID 080453001902
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 44.1%
White 38.7%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 6.3%
Asian 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harrison School District No. 2 in the County of El Paso an, which includes James Irwin Charter Elementary School.
$17,595
Per student
-16%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 24.7%
State 60.0%
Federal 15.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,089
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 949
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 843
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 764
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 595
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
Similar elementary schools in Colorado Springs
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
The Classical Academy Charter
Standard public school
1,909 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Rocky Mountain Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,162 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
The Vanguard School (Elementary)
Standard public school
949 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Chinook Trail Elementary School
Standard public school
632 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
New Summit Charter Academy
Standard public school
628 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Grand Peak Academy
Standard public school
608 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about James Irwin Charter Elementary School
How many students attend James Irwin Charter Elementary School?
James Irwin Charter Elementary School has 522 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in COLORADO SPRINGS, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Irwin Charter Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at James Irwin Charter Elementary School is 23.6:1, which is 40% higher than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 48% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Irwin Charter Elementary School?
32.3% of students at James Irwin Charter Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Irwin Charter Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at James Irwin Charter Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 44.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in COLORADO SPRINGS, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Irwin Charter Elementary School?
James Irwin Charter Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.