Enrollment
322
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Highlands Ranch, CO
Sand Creek Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sand Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080345001407
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sand Creek Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #1 of 18
- schools in Highlands Ranch · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 14.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sand Creek Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sand Creek Elementary School ranks #1 of 18 schools in Highlands Ranch, CO.
School address
District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080345001407 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.2%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sand Creek Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sand Creek Elementary School
Sand Creek Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, enrolling 322 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 322 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 287 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Douglas County School District No. Re 1 spends $11,848 per pupil, 27% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students) and Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students) alongside Sand Creek 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 Sand Creek Elementary School compares
Sand Creek 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 16% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.2% | ▼ 63% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 322 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
322
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 33% in Colorado - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$11,848
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 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 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 63.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.0%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 7.5%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 63.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.7, Sand Creek 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 Douglas County School District No. Re 1, which includes Sand Creek Elementary School.
$11,848
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Sand Creek Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rock Canyon High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Legend High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain Vista High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sand Creek Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,803
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,325
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,206
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~322 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sand Creek Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sand Creek Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Douglas County School District No. Re 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 Sand Creek Elementary School
How many students attend Sand Creek Elementary School?
Sand Creek Elementary School has 322 students enrolled. It is a public school in Highlands Ranch, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sand Creek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sand Creek Elementary School is 14:1, which is 16% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 11% 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 Sand Creek Elementary School?
14.2% of students at Sand Creek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sand Creek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sand Creek Elementary School is White at 63.0% of enrollment, in Highlands Ranch, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sand Creek Elementary School?
Sand Creek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Sand Creek Elementary School rank among schools in Highlands Ranch?
By Resource Investment Index, Sand Creek Elementary School ranks #1 of 18 schools in Highlands Ranch, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Highlands Ranch on the city page.
Is Sand Creek Elementary School a good school?
Sand Creek Elementary School earns 50/100 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 Douglas County School District No. Re 1?
Besides Sand Creek Elementary School, Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students), Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students), and Legend High School (2,206 students). See the Douglas County School District No. Re 1 district page for the complete list.
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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.