Enrollment
960
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 080234006483
Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory — Aurora, CO
Federal NCES profile for Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 30/100.
👥 Class size 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
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)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory 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 P-8 Exploratory reports 960 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 50.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% 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 30% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 39.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 3% above the Colorado average and 24% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 480 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 30/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 P-8 Exploratory 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 22% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▲ 3% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 960 | top 92% | — | — |
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
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 3% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
— 22% above state mean
Top 91% in Colorado — lower ratio than 9% 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 480 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
60
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 960 Top 92% in Colorado — larger than 8% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 50.0
Students per teacher 20.7:1 +22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 39.6% +3% vs state
NCES ID 080234006483
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 42.1%
White 23.0%
African American 18.2%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 480:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 60
Out-of-school suspensions 52
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a, which includes Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory.
$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 other schools in Aurora
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Aurora Central Campus
Standard public school
2,468 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Lotus School for Excellence
Standard public school
1,008 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Edna and John W. Mosley P-8
Standard public school
994 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Sixth Avenue Elementary School
Standard public school
950 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Aurora West College Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
927 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
Harmony Ridge P-8
Standard public school
894 students 16:1 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 P-8 Exploratory
How many students attend Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory?
Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory has 960 students enrolled. It is a other school in AURORA, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory is 20.7:1, which is 22% higher than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory?
39.6% of students at Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory?
The largest demographic group at Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory is Hispanic or Latino at 42.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in AURORA, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory?
Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.