Enrollment
452
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Durango, CO
Park Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Park Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080348000454
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Park Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #7 of 8
- schools in Durango · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 30.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Park Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Park Elementary School ranks #7 of 8 schools in Durango, CO.
School address
District: Durango School District No. 9-R · Colorado
NCES ID 080348000454 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Park Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Park Elementary School
Park Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Durango, Colorado, enrolling 452 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.1% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 452 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 363 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #292, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 565 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% 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 Park 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 Park Elementary School compares
Park 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 15% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.1% | ▼ 22% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
452
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 33% in Colorado - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
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
19
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 56.9%
Hispanic or Latino 24.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.4%
Two or More 8.2%
Asian 1.6%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.3, Park 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 Park 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 Park 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 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Riverview Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Needham Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Park 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
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~452 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Park Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Park 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 Park Elementary School
How many students attend Park Elementary School?
Park Elementary School has 452 students enrolled. It is a public school in Durango, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Park Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Park Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 15% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 10% 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 Park Elementary School?
30.1% of students at Park Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Park Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Park Elementary School is White at 56.9% of enrollment, in Durango, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Park Elementary School?
Park Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Park Elementary School rank among schools in Durango?
By Resource Investment Index, Park Elementary School ranks #7 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 Park Elementary School a good school?
Park Elementary School earns 35/100 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 Durango School District No. 9-R?
Besides Park 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.