Enrollment
397
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sterling, CO
Sterling Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sterling Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080669001154
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sterling Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.4:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 48.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sterling Middle School has class sizes larger than 94% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Sterling, CO.
School address
District: School District No. Re-1 Valley · Colorado
NCES ID 080669001154 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sterling Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sterling Middle School
Sterling Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Sterling, Colorado, enrolling 397 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.4:1 is larger than about 94% of Colorado schools and 41% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 397 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 302 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #197.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 49/100).
The surrounding School District No. Re-1 Valley spends $11,139 per pupil, 32% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 113 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 397 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
School District No. Re-1 Valley also operates Sterling High School (421 students) and Ayres Elementary School (385 students) alongside Sterling 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 Sterling Middle School compares
Sterling 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 | 23.4:1 | ▲ 41% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.9% | ▲ 27% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 397 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.4:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
397
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.4:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 94% in Colorado - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$11,139
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
69
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.5 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 65.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.2%
Two or More 3.0%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.0, Sterling Middle School is about as mixed as the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. Re-1 Valley, which includes Sterling Middle School.
$11,139
Per student
-32%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.0%
State 48.6%
Federal 10.4%
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 Sterling Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ayres Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Campbell Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Caliche Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hagen Early Education Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sterling Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 139
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 117
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~397 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sterling Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sterling Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. Re-1 Valley'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 Sterling Middle School
How many students attend Sterling Middle School?
Sterling Middle School has 397 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sterling, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle School is 23.4:1, which is 41% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 49% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sterling Middle School?
48.9% of students at Sterling Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sterling Middle School is White at 65.5% of enrollment, in Sterling, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling Middle School?
Sterling Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Sterling Middle School rank among public schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Sterling, 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 Sterling on the city page.
Is Sterling Middle School a good school?
Sterling Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 School District No. Re-1 Valley?
Besides Sterling Middle School, School District No. Re-1 Valley also operates Sterling High School (421 students), Ayres Elementary School (385 students), and Campbell Elementary School (347 students). See the School District No. Re-1 Valley 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.