Enrollment
171
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Durango, CO
The Juniper School
Federal NCES profile for The Juniper School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080348006712Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Juniper School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #5 of 15
- public schools in Durango · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 23.5%
- free-lunch eligible
The Juniper School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Juniper School ranks #5 of 15 public schools in Durango, CO.
School address
District: Durango School District No. 9-R · Colorado
NCES ID 080348006712 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Juniper School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Juniper School
The Juniper School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Durango, Colorado, enrolling 171 students.
At 15.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 171 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 126 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #64.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 173 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durango School District No. 9-R spends $11,863 per pupil, 27% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Durango School District No. 9-R also operates Durango High School (1,352 students) and Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango (964 students) alongside The Juniper 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 The Juniper School compares
The Juniper 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 | 15.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.5% | ▼ 39% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 171 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
171
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 47% in Colorado - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$11,863
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
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 79.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
Two or More 2.9%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 79.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.0, The Juniper School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durango School District No. 9-R, which includes The Juniper School.
$11,863
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 44.9%
Federal 6.6%
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 The Juniper School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durango High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Escalante Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Park Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverview Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Juniper School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,352
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 964
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~171 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Juniper School's federal record.
- Compare The Juniper School against another school. Compare schools
- Durango School District No. 9-R'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 The Juniper School
How many students attend The Juniper School?
The Juniper School has 171 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Durango, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Juniper School?
The student-teacher ratio at The Juniper School is 15.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 1% 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 The Juniper School?
23.5% of students at The Juniper School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Juniper School?
The largest demographic group at The Juniper School is White at 79.5% of enrollment, in Durango, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Juniper School?
The Juniper School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does The Juniper School rank among public schools in Durango?
By Resource Investment Index, The Juniper School ranks #5 of 15 public schools in Durango, 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 Durango on the city page.
Is The Juniper School a good school?
The Juniper School earns 49/100 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 Durango School District No. 9-R?
Besides The Juniper School, Durango School District No. 9-R also operates Durango High School (1,352 students), Colorado Connections Academy @ Durango (964 students), and Escalante Middle School (461 students). See the Durango School District No. 9-R 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.