Enrollment
805
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Parker, CO
Sierra Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080345001582
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Parker · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 11.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Middle School has class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Parker, CO.
School address
District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080345001582 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Middle School
Sierra Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Parker, Colorado, enrolling 805 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.9% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 805 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 234 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
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 Sierra 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 Sierra Middle School compares
Sierra 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 | 18.7:1 | ▲ 13% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.9% | ▼ 69% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 805 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
805
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.9%
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
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 77% in Colorado - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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
Counselors4.1 FTE
Per 196 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.9 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 63.6%
Hispanic or Latino 21.9%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 3.1%
African American 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 63.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Sierra Middle 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 Sierra Middle 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 Sierra Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Middle 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 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 (~805 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Middle 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 Sierra Middle School
How many students attend Sierra Middle School?
Sierra Middle School has 805 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Parker, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle School is 18.7:1, which is 13% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra Middle School?
11.9% of students at Sierra Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Middle School is White at 63.6% of enrollment, in Parker, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Middle School?
Sierra Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Sierra Middle School rank among middle schools in Parker?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Parker, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Parker on the city page.
Is Sierra Middle School a good school?
Sierra Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Douglas County School District No. Re 1?
Besides Sierra Middle 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.
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.