Enrollment
604
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Denver, CO
Strive Prep - Smart Academy
Federal NCES profile for Strive Prep - Smart Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080336006543Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 56
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Strive Prep - Smart Academy earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Colorado schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- #30 of 45
- high schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 73.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Strive Prep - Smart Academy has class sizes smaller than 88% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Strive Prep - Smart Academy ranks #30 of 45 high schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336006543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Strive Prep - Smart Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Strive Prep - Smart Academy
Strive Prep - Smart Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter high school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 604 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11:1, Strive Prep - Smart Academy is leaner than roughly 88% of Colorado schools and 34% under the state's 16.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 73.1% of students qualify for free meals, 90% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 604 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 166 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #75.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students) and Northfield High School (2,137 students) alongside Strive Prep - Smart Academy.
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 Strive Prep - Smart Academy compares
Strive Prep - Smart Academy on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 34% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.1% | ▲ 90% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 604 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
604
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 90% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 12% in Colorado - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.9%
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
$15,336
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
88
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 93.9%
White 2.0%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
African American 1.0%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.7, Strive Prep - Smart Academy is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C, which includes Strive Prep - Smart Academy.
$15,336
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.4%
State 16.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 Strive Prep - Smart Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Strive Prep - Smart Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high 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 (~604 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Strive Prep - Smart Academy's federal record.
- Compare Strive Prep - Smart Academy against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C'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 Strive Prep - Smart Academy
How many students attend Strive Prep - Smart Academy?
Strive Prep - Smart Academy has 604 students enrolled. It is a high school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Strive Prep - Smart Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Strive Prep - Smart Academy is 11:1, which is 34% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 30% 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 Strive Prep - Smart Academy?
73.1% of students at Strive Prep - Smart Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Strive Prep - Smart Academy?
The largest demographic group at Strive Prep - Smart Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 93.9% of enrollment, in Denver, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Strive Prep - Smart Academy?
Strive Prep - Smart Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Strive Prep - Smart Academy rank among high schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Strive Prep - Smart Academy ranks #30 of 45 high schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Strive Prep - Smart Academy a good school?
Strive Prep - Smart Academy earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Colorado schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Strive Prep - Smart Academy, School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students), Northfield High School (2,137 students), and South High School (1,950 students). See the School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Colorado
All public schools in Colorado
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C
All schools in this district
Schools in Denver
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.