Enrollment
483
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · New Castle, CO
Riverside School
Federal NCES profile for Riverside School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080624001098
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in New Castle · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 36.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in New Castle, CO.
School address
District: Garfield School District No. Re-2 · Colorado
NCES ID 080624001098 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside School
Riverside School is a mid-sized middle school in New Castle, Colorado, enrolling 483 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.8% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 483 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 321 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #285, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (47%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 483 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Garfield School District No. Re-2 spends $12,122 per pupil, 26% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Garfield School District No. Re-2 also operates Rifle High School (778 students) and Coal Ridge High School (578 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside School compares
Riverside 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 17% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.8% | ▼ 4% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 483 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
483
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 31% in Colorado - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
59.8%
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
$12,122
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 483 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
59
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 50.3%
White 46.6%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.9, Riverside School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garfield School District No. Re-2, which includes Riverside School.
$12,122
Per student
-26%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 55.9%
Federal 6.5%
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 Riverside School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coal Ridge High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rifle Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cactus Valley Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar middle 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 (~483 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside School's federal record.
- Compare Riverside School against another school. Compare schools
- Garfield School District No. Re-2'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 Riverside School
How many students attend Riverside School?
Riverside School has 483 students enrolled. It is a middle school in New Castle, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside School?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside School is 13.8:1, which is 17% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 12% 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 Riverside School?
36.8% of students at Riverside School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside School?
The largest demographic group at Riverside School is Hispanic or Latino at 50.3% of enrollment, in New Castle, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside School?
Riverside School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Riverside School rank among public schools in New Castle?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in New Castle, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in New Castle on the city page.
Is Riverside School a good school?
Riverside School earns 30/100 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 Garfield School District No. Re-2?
Besides Riverside School, Garfield School District No. Re-2 also operates Rifle High School (778 students), Coal Ridge High School (578 students), and Rifle Middle School (552 students). See the Garfield School District No. Re-2 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.