Enrollment
367
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Durango, CO
Needham Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Needham Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080348000453
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Needham Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools.
- #8 of 8
- schools in Durango · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.1:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Needham Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Needham Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 schools in Durango, CO.
School address
District: Durango School District No. 9-R · Colorado
NCES ID 080348000453 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Needham Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Needham Elementary School
Needham Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Durango, Colorado, enrolling 367 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.0% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 367 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 346 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #313, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 459 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durango School District No. 9-R spends $11,863 per pupil, 27% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Durango School District No. 9-R also operates Durango High School (1,352 students) and Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango (964 students) alongside Needham 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 Needham Elementary School compares
Needham 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 21% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 12% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 367 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
367
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 25% in Colorado - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.4%
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
$11,863
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 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 65.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.9%
Two or More 7.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.9%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 65.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.7, Needham 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 Durango School District No. 9-R, which includes Needham Elementary School.
$11,863
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 44.9%
Federal 6.6%
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 Needham Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durango High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Escalante Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Park Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverview Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Needham Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,352
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 964
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other 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 (~367 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Needham Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Needham Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Durango School District No. 9-R'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 Needham Elementary School
How many students attend Needham Elementary School?
Needham Elementary School has 367 students enrolled. It is a public school in Durango, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Needham Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Needham Elementary School is 13.1:1, which is 21% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 17% 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 Needham Elementary School?
34.0% of students at Needham Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Needham Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Needham Elementary School is White at 65.9% of enrollment, in Durango, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Needham Elementary School?
Needham Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Needham Elementary School rank among schools in Durango?
By Resource Investment Index, Needham Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 schools in Durango, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Durango on the city page.
Is Needham Elementary School a good school?
Needham Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Durango School District No. 9-R?
Besides Needham Elementary School, Durango School District No. 9-R also operates Durango High School (1,352 students), Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango (964 students), and Escalante Middle School (461 students). See the Durango School District No. 9-R 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.