Enrollment
852
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Castle Rock, CO
Mesa Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Mesa Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080345006371
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mesa Middle School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #3 of 22
- public schools in Castle Rock · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 12.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mesa Middle School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mesa Middle School ranks #3 of 22 public schools in Castle Rock, CO.
School address
District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080345006371 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mesa Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mesa Middle School
Mesa Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Castle Rock, Colorado, enrolling 852 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 12.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 90% of state schools at 852 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 207 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 207 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Douglas County School District No. Re 1 spends $11,848 per pupil, 27% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students) and Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students) alongside Mesa Middle 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 Mesa Middle School compares
Mesa Middle 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 11% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.9% | ▼ 66% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 852 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
852
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 38% in Colorado - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$11,848
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
Counselors4.1 FTE
Per 207 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 68.4%
Hispanic or Latino 22.8%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 1.4%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 68.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.7, Mesa Middle School is about as mixed as the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Douglas County School District No. Re 1, which includes Mesa Middle School.
$11,848
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 40.8%
Federal 6.4%
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 Mesa Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rock Canyon High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Legend High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain Vista High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mesa Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,803
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,325
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,206
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle 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 (~852 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mesa Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Mesa Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Douglas County School District No. Re 1'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 Mesa Middle School
How many students attend Mesa Middle School?
Mesa Middle School has 852 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Castle Rock, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mesa Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mesa Middle School is 14.7:1, which is 11% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 6% lower 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 Mesa Middle School?
12.9% of students at Mesa Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mesa Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Mesa Middle School is White at 68.4% of enrollment, in Castle Rock, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mesa Middle School?
Mesa Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mesa Middle School rank among public schools in Castle Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, Mesa Middle School ranks #3 of 22 public schools in Castle Rock, 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 Castle Rock on the city page.
Is Mesa Middle School a good school?
Mesa Middle School earns 57/100 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 Douglas County School District No. Re 1?
Besides Mesa Middle School, Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students), Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students), and Legend High School (2,206 students). See the Douglas County School District No. Re 1 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.