Enrollment
380
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 080234006322 Charter school
Vanguard Classical School - West — Denver, CO
Federal NCES profile for Vanguard Classical School - West, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 58/100.
👥 Class size 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vanguard Classical School - West compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Vanguard Classical School - West reports 380 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 27.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% below the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 16% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 69.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 79% above the Colorado average and 33% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a spends $19,113 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 46.4% from local sources (property taxes), 41.1% from the state, and 12.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Vanguard Classical School - West compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Colorado state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 21% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.1% | ▲ 79% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 54% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
69.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 79% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
— 21% below state mean
Top 23% in Colorado — lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$19,113
per pupil, district-wide
— below Colorado avg of $20,949
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
11
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 380 Top 54% in Colorado — larger than 46% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 27.0
Students per teacher 13.4:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 69.1% +79% vs state
NCES ID 080234006322
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 64.7%
African American 22.4%
Two or More 6.1%
White 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 43
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a, which includes Vanguard Classical School - West.
$19,113
Per student
-9%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 46.4%
State 41.1%
Federal 12.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,468
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,078
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,045
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,748
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,527
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
Similar elementary schools in Denver
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Denver Language School
Standard public school
930 students 16:1 students per teacher
William (Bill) Roberts Ece-8 School
Standard public school
872 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Omar D Blair Charter School
Standard public school
783 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Slavens K-8 School
Standard public school
762 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Highline Academy Southeast
Standard public school
591 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Denver Green School Southeast
Standard public school
586 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Vanguard Classical School - West
How many students attend Vanguard Classical School - West?
Vanguard Classical School - West has 380 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in DENVER, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vanguard Classical School - West?
The student-teacher ratio at Vanguard Classical School - West is 13.4:1, which is 21% lower than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vanguard Classical School - West?
69.1% of students at Vanguard Classical School - West are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vanguard Classical School - West?
The largest demographic group at Vanguard Classical School - West is Hispanic or Latino at 64.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in DENVER, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vanguard Classical School - West?
Vanguard Classical School - West has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.