Enrollment
493
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Arvada, CO
Sierra Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080480000781
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Colorado schools.
- #2 of 13
- elementary schools in Arvada · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 12.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Elementary School has class sizes larger than 79% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Elementary School ranks #2 of 13 elementary schools in Arvada, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480000781 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Elementary School
Sierra Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Arvada, Colorado, enrolling 493 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.1% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 493 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 373 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #70.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
15.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students) alongside Sierra 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 Sierra Elementary School compares
Sierra 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 14% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.1% | ▼ 69% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 493 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
493
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 79% in Colorado - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,124
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.6, Sierra Elementary School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Sierra Elementary School.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 7.8%
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 Sierra Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~493 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. 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 Sierra Elementary School
How many students attend Sierra Elementary School?
Sierra Elementary School has 493 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Arvada, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Elementary School is 19:1, which is 14% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra Elementary School?
12.1% of students at Sierra Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Elementary School is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Arvada, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Elementary School?
Sierra Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sierra Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Arvada?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Elementary School ranks #2 of 13 elementary schools in Arvada, 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 Arvada on the city page.
Is Sierra Elementary School a good school?
Sierra Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Sierra Elementary School, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students), and Chatfield High School (1,808 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. 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.