Enrollment
359
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 080309000839
Mesa Elementary School — Cortez, CO
Federal NCES profile for Mesa Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 30/100.
👥 Class size 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 0
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: Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 · 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)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+94% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mesa Elementary School 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
Mesa Elementary School reports 359 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% above the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 26% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 94% above the Colorado average and 44% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 349 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 41.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 spends $12,250 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.2% from local sources (property taxes), 42.0% from the state, and 15.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Mesa Elementary School 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 | 20:1 | ▲ 18% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.8% | ▲ 94% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 359 | top 50% | — | — |
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.
Economic need
74.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 94% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20:1
students per teacher
— 18% above state mean
Top 88% in Colorado — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,250
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.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 349 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 359 Top 50% in Colorado — larger than 50% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 20:1 +18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.8% +94% vs state
NCES ID 080309000839
Student demographics
American Indian / Alaska Native 37.3%
White 29.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.8%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 37.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 349:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 41.5%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1, which includes Mesa Elementary School.
$12,250
Per student
-42%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 42.0%
Federal 15.9%
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
- 598
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Enrollment
- 130
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Cortez
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Kemper Elementary School
Standard public school
339 students 17:1 students per teacher
Children'S Kiva Montessori School
Standard public school
130 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Lewis-Arriola Elementary School
Standard public school
125 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Battle Rock Charter School
Standard public school
88 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
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 Mesa Elementary School
How many students attend Mesa Elementary School?
Mesa Elementary School has 359 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in CORTEZ, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mesa Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mesa Elementary School is 20:1, which is 18% higher than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mesa Elementary School?
74.8% of students at Mesa Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mesa Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mesa Elementary School is American Indian / Alaska Native at 37.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in CORTEZ, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mesa Elementary School?
Mesa Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.