Enrollment
327
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Montrose, CO
Northside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Northside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080579000994
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 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
Northside Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Montrose · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 64.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Northside Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northside Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Montrose, CO.
School address
District: Montrose County School District Re-1j · Colorado
NCES ID 080579000994 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northside Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northside Elementary School
Northside Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Montrose, Colorado, enrolling 327 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 327 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.
Against 217 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #142.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (55%) and White (39%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 309 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Montrose County School District Re-1j spends $10,606 per pupil, 35% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Montrose County School District Re-1j also operates Montrose High School (1,279 students) and Centennial Middle School (540 students) alongside Northside 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 Northside Elementary School compares
Northside 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.5% | ▲ 68% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 327 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
327
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Colorado - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
70.0%
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
$10,606
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
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 308 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 54.7%
White 38.5%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Northside 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 Montrose County School District Re-1j, which includes Northside Elementary School.
$10,606
Per student
-35%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 53.3%
Federal 17.9%
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 Northside Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montrose High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Johnson Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olathe Middle/High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbine Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,279
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 499
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~327 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Northside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Montrose County School District Re-1j'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 Northside Elementary School
How many students attend Northside Elementary School?
Northside Elementary School has 327 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Montrose, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northside Elementary School is 14.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 5% 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 Northside Elementary School?
64.5% of students at Northside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Northside Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 54.7% of enrollment, in Montrose, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northside Elementary School?
Northside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Northside Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Montrose?
By Resource Investment Index, Northside Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Montrose, 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 Montrose on the city page.
Is Northside Elementary School a good school?
Northside Elementary School earns 37/100 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 Montrose County School District Re-1j?
Besides Northside Elementary School, Montrose County School District Re-1j also operates Montrose High School (1,279 students), Centennial Middle School (540 students), and Johnson Elementary School (531 students). See the Montrose County School District Re-1j 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.