Enrollment
475
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 080345001584 Charter school
Platte River Charter Academy — Highlands Ranch, CO
Federal NCES profile for Platte River Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1 · Colorado
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Platte River Charter Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Platte River Charter Academy reports 475 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 28.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% above the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 7% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 950 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Douglas County School District No. Re 1 spends $14,103 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 52.8% from local sources (property taxes), 40.8% from the state, and 6.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Platte River Charter Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Colorado state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▲ 1% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 475 | top 68% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
— 1% above state mean
Top 63% in Colorado — lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,103
per pupil, district-wide
— below Colorado avg of $20,949
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 950 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 475 Top 68% in Colorado — larger than 32% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 28.0
Students per teacher 17:1 +1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 080345001584
Student demographics
White 67.6%
Asian 12.8%
Two or More 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 67.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 950:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Douglas County School District No. Re 1, which includes Platte River Charter Academy.
$14,103
Per student
-33%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 40.8%
Federal 6.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,803
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,325
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Enrollment
- 2,206
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
Similar other schools in Highlands Ranch
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Stem School Highlands Ranch
Standard public school
1,394 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Skyview Academy
Standard public school
1,358 students 15:1 students per teacher
Ben Franklin Academy
Standard public school
956 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Northridge Elementary School
Standard public school
560 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Coyote Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
506 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Stone Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
452 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Platte River Charter Academy
How many students attend Platte River Charter Academy?
Platte River Charter Academy has 475 students enrolled. It is a other school in HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Platte River Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Platte River Charter Academy is 17:1, which is 1% higher than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Platte River Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Platte River Charter Academy is White at 67.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Platte River Charter Academy?
Platte River Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.