Enrollment
670
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Falcon, CO
Meridian Ranch Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Meridian Ranch Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080387001843
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meridian Ranch Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Falcon · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 14.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Meridian Ranch Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Ranch Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Falcon, CO.
School address
District: El Paso County Colorado School District 49 · Colorado
NCES ID 080387001843 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meridian Ranch Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meridian Ranch Elementary School
Meridian Ranch Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Falcon, Colorado, enrolling 670 students.
At 16:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 670 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 310 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 57/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding El Paso County Colorado School District 49 spends $10,145 per pupil, 38% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
El Paso County Colorado School District 49 also operates Goal Academy (6,693 students) and Banning Lewis Ranch Academy (1,697 students) alongside Meridian Ranch Elementary 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 Meridian Ranch Elementary School compares
Meridian Ranch Elementary 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 4% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.9% | ▼ 61% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 670 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
670
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 53% in Colorado - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.6%
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
$10,145
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 61.3%
Hispanic or Latino 20.0%
Two or More 11.3%
African American 6.1%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.8, Meridian Ranch Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for El Paso County Colorado School District 49, which includes Meridian Ranch Elementary School.
$10,145
Per student
-38%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.9%
State 67.4%
Federal 8.8%
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 Meridian Ranch Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Banning Lewis Ranch Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vista Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sand Creek High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Falcon High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meridian Ranch Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 6,693
- Students per teacher
- 36.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,473
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,426
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,172
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~670 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meridian Ranch Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Meridian Ranch Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- El Paso County Colorado School District 49'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 Meridian Ranch Elementary School
How many students attend Meridian Ranch Elementary School?
Meridian Ranch Elementary School has 670 students enrolled. It is a public school in Falcon, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meridian Ranch Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meridian Ranch Elementary School is 16:1, which is 4% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 2% 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 Meridian Ranch Elementary School?
14.9% of students at Meridian Ranch Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meridian Ranch Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Meridian Ranch Elementary School is White at 61.3% of enrollment, in Falcon, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meridian Ranch Elementary School?
Meridian Ranch Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Meridian Ranch Elementary School rank among schools in Falcon?
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Ranch Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Falcon, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Falcon on the city page.
Is Meridian Ranch Elementary School a good school?
Meridian Ranch Elementary School earns 48/100 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 El Paso County Colorado School District 49?
Besides Meridian Ranch Elementary School, El Paso County Colorado School District 49 also operates Goal Academy (6,693 students), Banning Lewis Ranch Academy (1,697 students), and Vista Ridge High School (1,473 students). See the El Paso County Colorado School District 49 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.