Enrollment
212
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Collins, CO
Poudre Community Academy
Federal NCES profile for Poudre Community Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080399001938
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poudre Community Academy earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #1 of 29
- schools in Fort Collins · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 60.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Poudre Community Academy has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poudre Community Academy ranks #1 of 29 schools in Fort Collins, CO.
School address
District: Poudre School District R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080399001938 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poudre Community Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poudre Community Academy
Poudre Community Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Collins, Colorado, enrolling 212 students.
At 15.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 212 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 128 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (40%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 106 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Discipline events run high: 67 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 212 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Poudre School District R-1 also operates Rocky Mountain High School (2,044 students) and Fossil Ridge High School (1,846 students) alongside Poudre Community Academy.
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 Poudre Community Academy compares
Poudre Community Academy on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▼ 9% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.1% | ▲ 56% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 212 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
212
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 43% in Colorado - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$13,223
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 106 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 48.6%
White 40.1%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 2.4%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Poudre Community Academy is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poudre School District R-1, which includes Poudre Community Academy.
$13,223
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 35.4%
Federal 7.1%
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 Poudre Community Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fossil Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Collins High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Common Charter School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timnath Middle-High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Poudre Community Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,044
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,836
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,516
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
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 (~212 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poudre Community Academy's federal record.
- Compare Poudre Community Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Poudre School District R-1'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 Poudre Community Academy
How many students attend Poudre Community Academy?
Poudre Community Academy has 212 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Fort Collins, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poudre Community Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Poudre Community Academy is 15.1:1, which is 9% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 4% 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 Poudre Community Academy?
60.1% of students at Poudre Community Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poudre Community Academy?
The largest demographic group at Poudre Community Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 48.6% of enrollment, in Fort Collins, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poudre Community Academy?
Poudre Community Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (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 Poudre Community Academy rank among schools in Fort Collins?
By Resource Investment Index, Poudre Community Academy ranks #1 of 29 schools in Fort Collins, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Collins on the city page.
Is Poudre Community Academy a good school?
Poudre Community Academy earns 63/100 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 Poudre School District R-1?
Besides Poudre Community Academy, Poudre School District R-1 also operates Rocky Mountain High School (2,044 students), Fossil Ridge High School (1,846 students), and Fort Collins High School (1,836 students). See the Poudre School District R-1 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.