Enrollment
477
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pueblo West, CO
Prairie Winds Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Winds Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080615001855
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Winds Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Colorado schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Pueblo West · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Winds Elementary School has class sizes larger than 88% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Winds Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Pueblo West, CO.
School address
District: Pueblo County School District 70 · Colorado
NCES ID 080615001855 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Winds Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Winds Elementary School
Prairie Winds Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Pueblo West, Colorado, enrolling 477 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.7:1 is larger than about 88% of Colorado schools and 25% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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.
Enrollment of 477 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 329 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #303, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 477 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pueblo County School District 70 spends $10,558 per pupil, 35% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pueblo County School District 70 also operates Pueblo West High School (1,540 students) and Pueblo County High School (1,148 students) alongside Prairie Winds 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 Prairie Winds Elementary School compares
Prairie Winds 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 25% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 12% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 477 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
477
Bigger than 59% 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
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 88% in Colorado - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.0%
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
$10,558
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 477 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 52.0%
Hispanic or Latino 36.7%
Two or More 8.6%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Prairie Winds 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 Pueblo County School District 70, which includes Prairie Winds Elementary School.
$10,558
Per student
-35%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 53.2%
Federal 15.1%
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 Prairie Winds Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo West High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pueblo County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Swallows Charter Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sky View Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cedar Ridge Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Winds Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 677
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~477 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Winds Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Winds Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pueblo County School District 70'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 Prairie Winds Elementary School
How many students attend Prairie Winds Elementary School?
Prairie Winds Elementary School has 477 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pueblo West, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Winds Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Winds Elementary School is 20.7:1, which is 25% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Winds Elementary School?
34.0% of students at Prairie Winds Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Winds Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Winds Elementary School is White at 52.0% of enrollment, in Pueblo West, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Winds Elementary School?
Prairie Winds Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Prairie Winds Elementary School rank among schools in Pueblo West?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Winds Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Pueblo West, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pueblo West on the city page.
Is Prairie Winds Elementary School a good school?
Prairie Winds Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Pueblo County School District 70?
Besides Prairie Winds Elementary School, Pueblo County School District 70 also operates Pueblo West High School (1,540 students), Pueblo County High School (1,148 students), and Swallows Charter Academy (677 students). See the Pueblo County School District 70 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.