Enrollment
265
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fort Collins, CO
Mountain Sage Community School
Federal NCES profile for Mountain Sage Community School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080399006573Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mountain Sage Community School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools.
- #4 of 6
- elementary schools in Fort Collins · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 24.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Mountain Sage Community School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Sage Community School ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Fort Collins, CO.
School address
District: Poudre School District R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080399006573 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mountain Sage Community School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mountain Sage Community School
Mountain Sage Community School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Fort Collins, Colorado, enrolling 265 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 265 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 262 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #207, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Poudre School District R-1 also operates Rocky Mountain High School (2,044 students) and Fossil Ridge High School (1,846 students) alongside Mountain Sage Community 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 Mountain Sage Community School compares
Mountain Sage Community 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.7% | ▼ 36% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 265 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
265
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 26% in Colorado - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.6%
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
$13,223
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 81.5%
Two or More 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Asian 3.0%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 81.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Mountain Sage Community School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poudre School District R-1, which includes Mountain Sage Community School.
$13,223
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 35.4%
Federal 7.1%
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 Mountain Sage Community School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fossil Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Collins High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Common Charter School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timnath Middle-High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mountain Sage Community School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,044
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,836
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,516
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
Similar elementary 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 (~265 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mountain Sage Community School's federal record.
- Compare Mountain Sage Community School against another school. Compare schools
- Poudre School District R-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 Mountain Sage Community School
How many students attend Mountain Sage Community School?
Mountain Sage Community School has 265 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fort Collins, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mountain Sage Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mountain Sage Community School is 13.3:1, which is 20% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 15% 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 Mountain Sage Community School?
24.7% of students at Mountain Sage Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mountain Sage Community School?
The largest demographic group at Mountain Sage Community School is White at 81.5% of enrollment, in Fort Collins, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mountain Sage Community School?
Mountain Sage Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mountain Sage Community School rank among elementary schools in Fort Collins?
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Sage Community School ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Fort Collins, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Fort Collins on the city page.
Is Mountain Sage Community School a good school?
Mountain Sage Community School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Poudre School District R-1?
Besides Mountain Sage Community School, Poudre School District R-1 also operates Rocky Mountain High School (2,044 students), Fossil Ridge High School (1,846 students), and Fort Collins High School (1,836 students). See the Poudre School District R-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.