Enrollment
1,008
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Aurora, CO
Lotus School for Excellence
Federal NCES profile for Lotus School for Excellence, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080234001916Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lotus School for Excellence earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #39 of 70
- schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 77.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lotus School for Excellence has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lotus School for Excellence ranks #39 of 70 schools in Aurora, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080234001916 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+101% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lotus School for Excellence compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lotus School for Excellence
Lotus School for Excellence is a high-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Aurora, Colorado, enrolling 1,008 students.
At 16.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 77.5% of students qualify for free meals, 101% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,008 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and African American (39%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 309 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a also operates Aurora Central Campus (2,468 students) and Rangeview High School (2,078 students) alongside Lotus School for Excellence.
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 Lotus School for Excellence compares
Lotus School for Excellence on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▼ 1% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.5% | ▲ 101% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,008 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,008
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 101% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 58% in Colorado - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$16,314
per pupil, district-wide
- above Colorado avg of $16,273
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.3 FTE
Per 309 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 44.8%
African American 39.0%
White 10.9%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, Lotus School for Excellence is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a, which includes Lotus School for Excellence.
$16,314
Per student
+0%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.4%
State 41.1%
Federal 12.5%
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 Lotus School for Excellence Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Central Campus | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rangeview High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hinkley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lotus School for Excellence's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,468
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,078
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,045
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,748
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,527
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~1,008 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lotus School for Excellence's federal record.
- Compare Lotus School for Excellence against another school. Compare schools
- Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a'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 Lotus School for Excellence
How many students attend Lotus School for Excellence?
Lotus School for Excellence has 1,008 students enrolled. It is a public school in Aurora, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lotus School for Excellence?
The student-teacher ratio at Lotus School for Excellence is 16.5:1, which is 1% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 5% higher 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 Lotus School for Excellence?
77.5% of students at Lotus School for Excellence are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lotus School for Excellence?
The largest demographic group at Lotus School for Excellence is Hispanic or Latino at 44.8% of enrollment, in Aurora, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lotus School for Excellence?
Lotus School for Excellence has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lotus School for Excellence rank among schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, Lotus School for Excellence ranks #39 of 70 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 schools in Aurora on the city page.
Is Lotus School for Excellence a good school?
Lotus School for Excellence earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. 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 Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a?
Besides Lotus School for Excellence, Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a also operates Aurora Central Campus (2,468 students), Rangeview High School (2,078 students), and Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory (2,045 students). See the Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Colorado
All public schools in Colorado
Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a
All schools in this district
Schools in Aurora
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.