Enrollment
1,112
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Denver, CO
Montbello High School
Federal NCES profile for Montbello High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080336006528
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Montbello High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #37 of 45
- high schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 73.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Montbello High School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Montbello High School ranks #37 of 45 high schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336006528 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Montbello High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Montbello High School
Montbello High School is a higher-need, large high school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 1,112 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 73.1% of students qualify for free meals, 90% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,112 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 38 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #22.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 310 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students) and Northfield High School (2,137 students) alongside Montbello High 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 Montbello High School compares
Montbello High 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.1% | ▲ 90% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,112 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,112
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 90% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Colorado - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
54.8%
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
$15,336
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.
Support staff
Counselors3.6 FTE
Per 310 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 74.2%
African American 15.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.4%
Two or More 2.3%
Asian 2.1%
White 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Montbello High School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C, which includes Montbello High School.
$15,336
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.4%
State 16.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 Montbello High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Montbello High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high 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 (~1,112 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Montbello High School's federal record.
- Compare Montbello High School against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C'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 Montbello High School
How many students attend Montbello High School?
Montbello High School has 1,112 students enrolled. It is a high school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Montbello High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Montbello High School is 17.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Montbello High School?
73.1% of students at Montbello High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Montbello High School?
The largest demographic group at Montbello High School is Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment, in Denver, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Montbello High School?
Montbello High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Montbello High School rank among high schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Montbello High School ranks #37 of 45 high schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Montbello High School a good school?
Montbello High School earns 32/100 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 School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Montbello High School, School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students), Northfield High School (2,137 students), and South High School (1,950 students). See the School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C 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.