Enrollment
2,045
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 080234006451
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory — Aurora, CO
Federal NCES profile for Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 14
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
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)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory 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
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory reports 2,045 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 84.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% above the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 35% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 45.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 19% above the Colorado average and 12% below the national baseline. The school offers 11 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 341 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
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 43/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory 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 | 21.4:1 | ▲ 27% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▲ 19% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 2,045 | top 99% | — | — |
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
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 19% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher
— 27% above state mean
Top 93% in Colorado — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 341 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 206 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 2,045 Top 99% in Colorado — larger than 1% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 84.0
Students per teacher 21.4:1 +27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 45.7% +19% vs state
NCES ID 080234006451
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 50.3%
African American 18.9%
White 17.6%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 6.0
Students per counselor 341:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 62
Out-of-school suspensions 206
Expulsions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a, which includes Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory.
$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
- 1,748
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,527
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 1,008
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
Similar high schools in Aurora
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Cherokee Trail High School
Standard public school
3,089 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Grandview High School
Standard public school
2,684 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Smoky Hill High School
Standard public school
2,297 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Overland High School
Standard public school
2,228 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Rangeview High School
Standard public school
2,078 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Gateway High School
Standard public school
1,748 students 21.1:1 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 Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory
How many students attend Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory has 2,045 students enrolled. It is a high school in AURORA, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory is 21.4:1, which is 27% higher than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 35% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?
45.7% of students at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?
The largest demographic group at Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory is Hispanic or Latino at 50.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in AURORA, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory?
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.