Enrollment
452
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Woodland Park, CO
Merit Academy
Federal NCES profile for Merit Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080738006844Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merit Academy earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Colorado schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Woodland Park · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 452
- students enrolled
Merit Academy has class sizes larger than 84% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merit Academy ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Woodland Park, CO.
School address
District: Woodland Park School District No. Re-2 · Colorado
NCES ID 080738006844 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merit Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merit Academy
Merit Academy is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Woodland Park, Colorado, enrolling 452 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 452 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Woodland Park School District No. Re-2 also operates Woodland Park High School (490 students) and Columbine Elementary School (321 students) alongside Merit 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 Merit Academy compares
Merit 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 | 19.7:1 | ▲ 19% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
452
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 84% in Colorado - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,363
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.
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 84.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.2, Merit Academy is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Woodland Park School District No. Re-2, which includes Merit Academy.
$14,363
Per student
-12%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.0%
State 41.0%
Federal 10.0%
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 Merit Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland Park High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbine Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gateway Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Summit Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merit Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 293
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 195
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~452 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merit Academy's federal record.
- Compare Merit Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Woodland Park School District No. Re-2'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 Merit Academy
How many students attend Merit Academy?
Merit Academy has 452 students enrolled. It is a public school in Woodland Park, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merit Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Merit Academy is 19.7:1, which is 19% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merit Academy?
The largest demographic group at Merit Academy is White at 84.1% of enrollment, in Woodland Park, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merit Academy?
Merit Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Merit Academy rank among public schools in Woodland Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Merit Academy ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Woodland Park, 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 Woodland Park on the city page.
Is Merit Academy a good school?
Merit Academy earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Woodland Park School District No. Re-2?
Besides Merit Academy, Woodland Park School District No. Re-2 also operates Woodland Park High School (490 students), Columbine Elementary School (321 students), and Gateway Elementary School (293 students). See the Woodland Park School District No. Re-2 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.