Enrollment
452
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 080738006844 Charter school
Merit Academy — Woodland Park, CO
Federal NCES profile for Merit Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 54/100.
👥 Class size 54
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
District: Woodland Park School District No. Re-2 · Colorado
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
11.6:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merit Academy 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
Merit Academy reports 452 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 31% below the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 27% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
On the finance side, the surrounding Woodland Park School District No. Re-2 spends $15,359 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 49.0% from local sources (property taxes), 41.0% from the state, and 10.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (C-), calculated from 1 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 Merit Academy 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 31% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 65% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
— 31% below state mean
Top 12% in Colorado — lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$15,359
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.
Overview
Enrollment 452 Top 65% in Colorado — larger than 35% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 11.6:1 -31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 080738006844
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.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Woodland Park School District No. Re-2, which includes Merit Academy.
$15,359
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 293
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Enrollment
- 195
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
Similar other schools in Woodland Park
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Merit Academy
How many students attend Merit Academy?
Merit Academy has 452 students enrolled. It is a other school in WOODLAND PARK, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merit Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Merit Academy is 11.6:1, which is 31% lower than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merit Academy?
The largest demographic group at Merit Academy is White at 84.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in WOODLAND PARK, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merit Academy?
Merit Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (C-) based on 1 factor: 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.