Enrollment
184
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Commerce City, CO
Lester R Arnold High School
Federal NCES profile for Lester R Arnold High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080195001307
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lester R Arnold High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Colorado schools.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Commerce City · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 67.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lester R Arnold High School has class sizes larger than 75% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lester R Arnold High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Commerce City, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080195001307 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.4%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lester R Arnold High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lester R Arnold High School
Lester R Arnold High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Commerce City, Colorado, enrolling 184 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 67.4% of students qualify for free meals, 75% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 184 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 87 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 184 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
School District N. 14 in the County of Adams & State of Colo also operates Adams City High School (1,500 students) and Kemp Elementary School (517 students) alongside Lester R Arnold High 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 Lester R Arnold High School compares
Lester R Arnold High 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 11% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.4% | ▲ 75% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 184 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
184
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Colorado - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,314
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 184 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 86.4%
White 10.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
African American 0.5%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 86.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.1, Lester R Arnold High School 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 School District N. 14 in the County of Adams & State of Colo, which includes Lester R Arnold High School.
$14,314
Per student
-12%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.5%
State 42.5%
Federal 17.0%
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 Lester R Arnold High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kemp Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alsup Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dupont Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monaco Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lester R Arnold High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,500
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 28.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~184 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lester R Arnold High School's federal record.
- Compare Lester R Arnold High School against another school. Compare schools
- School District N. 14 in the County of Adams & State of Colo'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 Lester R Arnold High School
How many students attend Lester R Arnold High School?
Lester R Arnold High School has 184 students enrolled. It is a high school in Commerce City, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lester R Arnold High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lester R Arnold High School is 18.4:1, which is 11% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lester R Arnold High School?
67.4% of students at Lester R Arnold High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lester R Arnold High School?
The largest demographic group at Lester R Arnold High School is Hispanic or Latino at 86.4% of enrollment, in Commerce City, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lester R Arnold High School?
Lester R Arnold High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lester R Arnold High School rank among high schools in Commerce City?
By Resource Investment Index, Lester R Arnold High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Commerce City, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Commerce City on the city page.
Is Lester R Arnold High School a good school?
Lester R Arnold High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 School District N. 14 in the County of Adams & State of Colo?
Besides Lester R Arnold High School, School District N. 14 in the County of Adams & State of Colo also operates Adams City High School (1,500 students), Kemp Elementary School (517 students), and Alsup Elementary School (492 students). See the School District N. 14 in the County of Adams & State of Colo 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.