Enrollment
470
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Colorado Springs, CO
Watson Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Watson Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080648001126
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watson Junior High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Colorado schools.
- #19 of 25
- middle schools in Colorado Springs · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 29.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Watson Junior High School has class sizes smaller than 79% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Junior High School ranks #19 of 25 middle schools in Colorado Springs, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080648001126 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watson Junior High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watson Junior High School
Watson Junior High School is a mid-sized middle school in Colorado Springs, Colorado, enrolling 470 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.0% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 470 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 357 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #157.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding School District No. 3 in the County of El Paso and State of spends $11,395 per pupil, 30% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 287 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 470 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
School District No. 3 in the County of El Paso and State of also operates Mesa Ridge High School (1,304 students) and Widefield High School (1,193 students) alongside Watson Junior High 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 Watson Junior High School compares
Watson Junior High 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 23% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.0% | ▼ 25% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 470 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
470
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 21% in Colorado - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
47.7%
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
$11,395
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 287 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 61.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 49.8%
Hispanic or Latino 32.3%
Two or More 8.7%
African American 7.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, Watson Junior High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. 3 in the County of El Paso and State of, which includes Watson Junior High School.
$11,395
Per student
-30%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.7%
State 56.9%
Federal 12.4%
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 Watson Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Widefield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grand Mountain School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Janitell Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watson Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,304
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,193
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,044
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 658
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar middle 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 (~470 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watson Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Watson Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 3 in the County of El Paso and State of'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 Watson Junior High School
How many students attend Watson Junior High School?
Watson Junior High School has 470 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Colorado Springs, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watson Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watson Junior High School is 12.7:1, which is 23% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watson Junior High School?
29.0% of students at Watson Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watson Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Watson Junior High School is White at 49.8% of enrollment, in Colorado Springs, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watson Junior High School?
Watson Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Watson Junior High School rank among middle schools in Colorado Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Junior High School ranks #19 of 25 middle schools in Colorado Springs, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Colorado Springs on the city page.
Is Watson Junior High School a good school?
Watson Junior High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 No. 3 in the County of El Paso and State of?
Besides Watson Junior High School, School District No. 3 in the County of El Paso and State of also operates Mesa Ridge High School (1,304 students), Widefield High School (1,193 students), and Grand Mountain School (1,044 students). See the School District No. 3 in the County of El Paso and State of district page for the complete list.
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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.