Enrollment
421
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Commerce City, CO
The Stead School
Federal NCES profile for The Stead School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080258006832Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Stead School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Commerce City · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 30.1:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 13.2%
- free-lunch eligible
The Stead School has class sizes larger than 97% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Stead School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Commerce City, CO.
School address
District: School District 27j · Colorado
NCES ID 080258006832 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
30.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+81% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.2%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Stead School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Stead School
The Stead School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter high school in Commerce City, Colorado, enrolling 421 students.
Class loads run heavy: 30.1:1 is larger than about 97% of Colorado schools and 81% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 13.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 421 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 366 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #205.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%) (diversity index 60/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 421 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding School District 27j spends $10,462 per pupil, 36% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
School District 27j also operates Colorado Connections Academy (2,042 students) and Prairie View High School (1,809 students) alongside The Stead 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 Stead School compares
The Stead 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 | 30.1:1 | ▲ 81% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.2% | ▼ 66% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
30.1:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
30.1:1
students per teacher
- 81% above state mean
Top 97% in Colorado - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
5.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,462
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
Per 421 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 46.2%
Hispanic or Latino 43.3%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 3.1%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.6, The Stead School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District 27j, which includes The Stead School.
$10,462
Per student
-36%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 47.7%
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 The Stead School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Connections Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie View High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Riverdale Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brighton High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bromley East Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Stead School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,042
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 1,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,784
- Students per teacher
- 29.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,733
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,214
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~421 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Stead School's federal record.
- Compare The Stead School against another school. Compare schools
- School District 27j'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 Stead School
How many students attend The Stead School?
The Stead School has 421 students enrolled. It is a high school in Commerce City, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Stead School?
The student-teacher ratio at The Stead School is 30.1:1, which is 81% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 92% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at The Stead School?
13.2% of students at The Stead School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Stead School?
The largest demographic group at The Stead School is White at 46.2% of enrollment, in Commerce City, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Stead School?
The Stead School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does The Stead School rank among high schools in Commerce City?
By Resource Investment Index, The Stead School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Commerce City, 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 Commerce City on the city page.
Is The Stead School a good school?
The Stead School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 27j?
Besides The Stead School, School District 27j also operates Colorado Connections Academy (2,042 students), Prairie View High School (1,809 students), and Riverdale Ridge High School (1,784 students). See the School District 27j 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.