Enrollment
327
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Salida, CO
Salida Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Salida Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080633001107
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salida Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Salida · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 25.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Salida Middle School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salida Middle School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Salida, CO.
School address
District: Salida School District No. R-32 · Colorado
NCES ID 080633001107 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salida Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salida Middle School
Salida Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Salida, Colorado, enrolling 327 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 327 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 328 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #178.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Salida School District No. R-32 also operates Longfellow Elementary School (449 students) and Salida High School (409 students) alongside Salida Middle 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 Salida Middle School compares
Salida Middle 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 21% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.7% | ▼ 33% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 327 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
327
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 25% in Colorado - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.0%
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
$13,598
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.7 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 75.8%
Hispanic or Latino 18.0%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 75.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.0, Salida Middle School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salida School District No. R-32, which includes Salida Middle School.
$13,598
Per student
-16%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.4%
State 28.6%
Federal 13.0%
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 Salida Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longfellow Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Salida High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salida Early Childhood Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Crest Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizons Exploratory Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salida Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 60
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 32
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar elementary 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 (~327 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salida Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Salida Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Salida School District No. R-32'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 Salida Middle School
How many students attend Salida Middle School?
Salida Middle School has 327 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Salida, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salida Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salida Middle School is 13.1:1, which is 21% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 17% 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 Salida Middle School?
25.7% of students at Salida Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salida Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Salida Middle School is White at 75.8% of enrollment, in Salida, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salida Middle School?
Salida Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Salida Middle School rank among elementary schools in Salida?
By Resource Investment Index, Salida Middle School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Salida, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Salida on the city page.
Is Salida Middle School a good school?
Salida Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Salida School District No. R-32?
Besides Salida Middle School, Salida School District No. R-32 also operates Longfellow Elementary School (449 students), Salida High School (409 students), and Salida Early Childhood Center (74 students). See the Salida School District No. R-32 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.