Enrollment
188
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Montrose, CO
Vista Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Vista Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080579001852Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Charter School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Colorado schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Montrose · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 37.6:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 55.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Charter School has class sizes larger than 99% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Charter School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Montrose, CO.
School address
District: Montrose County School District Re-1j · Colorado
NCES ID 080579001852 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
37.6:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+127% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Charter School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Charter School
Vista Charter School is a higher-need, mid-sized charter high school in Montrose, Colorado, enrolling 188 students.
Class loads run heavy: 37.6:1 is larger than about 99% of Colorado schools and 127% 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 55.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 188 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 111 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #105, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (47%) (diversity index 54/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 188 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Montrose County School District Re-1j spends $10,606 per pupil, 35% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Montrose County School District Re-1j also operates Montrose High School (1,279 students) and Centennial Middle School (540 students) alongside Vista Charter 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 Vista Charter School compares
Vista Charter 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 | 37.6:1 | ▲ 127% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.9% | ▲ 45% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 188 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
37.6:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
188
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
37.6:1
students per teacher
- 127% above state mean
Top 99% in Colorado - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
79.8%
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
$10,606
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 188 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 48.9%
White 47.3%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.6, Vista Charter 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 Montrose County School District Re-1j, which includes Vista Charter School.
$10,606
Per student
-35%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 53.3%
Federal 17.9%
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 Vista Charter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montrose High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Centennial Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Johnson Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Olathe Middle/High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbine Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,279
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 499
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~188 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~37.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Vista Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Montrose County School District Re-1j'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 Vista Charter School
How many students attend Vista Charter School?
Vista Charter School has 188 students enrolled. It is a high school in Montrose, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Charter School is 37.6:1, which is 127% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 139% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Charter School?
55.9% of students at Vista Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Vista Charter School is Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment, in Montrose, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Charter School?
Vista Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Vista Charter School rank among high schools in Montrose?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Charter School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Montrose, 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 Montrose on the city page.
Is Vista Charter School a good school?
Vista Charter School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Montrose County School District Re-1j?
Besides Vista Charter School, Montrose County School District Re-1j also operates Montrose High School (1,279 students), Centennial Middle School (540 students), and Johnson Elementary School (531 students). See the Montrose County School District Re-1j 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.