Enrollment
346
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fort Carson, CO
Mountainside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mountainside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080408000856
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mountainside Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Colorado schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Fort Carson · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 34.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Mountainside Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mountainside Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Fort Carson, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080408000856 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mountainside Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mountainside Elementary School
Mountainside Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Fort Carson, Colorado, enrolling 346 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.8% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 346 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 339 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #72.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and White (34%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The surrounding Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an spends $12,970 per pupil, 20% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 37.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an also operates Fountain-Fort Carson High School (1,974 students) and Fountain Middle School (1,051 students) alongside Mountainside Elementary 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 Mountainside Elementary School compares
Mountainside Elementary 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 25% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.8% | ▼ 10% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
346
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 19% in Colorado - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,970
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 346 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 36.1%
White 34.1%
African American 15.9%
Two or More 9.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.8, Mountainside Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an, which includes Mountainside Elementary School.
$12,970
Per student
-20%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.9%
State 56.6%
Federal 37.4%
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 Mountainside Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain-Fort Carson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fountain Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Weikel Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mesa Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carson Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mountainside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~346 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mountainside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mountainside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an'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 Mountainside Elementary School
How many students attend Mountainside Elementary School?
Mountainside Elementary School has 346 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fort Carson, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mountainside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mountainside Elementary School is 12.4:1, which is 25% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 21% 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 Mountainside Elementary School?
34.8% of students at Mountainside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mountainside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mountainside Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 36.1% of enrollment, in Fort Carson, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mountainside Elementary School?
Mountainside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Mountainside Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Fort Carson?
By Resource Investment Index, Mountainside Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Fort Carson, 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 Carson on the city page.
Is Mountainside Elementary School a good school?
Mountainside Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Colorado schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an?
Besides Mountainside Elementary School, Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an also operates Fountain-Fort Carson High School (1,974 students), Fountain Middle School (1,051 students), and Weikel Elementary School (814 students). See the Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Colorado
All public schools in Colorado
Fountain School District No. 8 in the County of El Paso an
All schools in this district
Schools in Fort Carson
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.