Enrollment
540
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Thornton, CO
Westgate Community School
Federal NCES profile for Westgate Community School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080690006417Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Westgate Community School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools.
- #16 of 21
- schools in Thornton · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.8:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 14.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Westgate Community School has class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Westgate Community School ranks #16 of 21 schools in Thornton, CO.
School address
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado
NCES ID 080690006417 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Westgate Community School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Westgate Community School
Westgate Community School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Thornton, Colorado, enrolling 540 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.8:1 is larger than about 89% of Colorado schools and 25% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 540 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 378 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #332, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 270 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students) and Horizon High School (1,966 students) alongside Westgate Community 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 Westgate Community School compares
Westgate Community 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 | 20.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.6% | ▼ 62% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 540 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
540
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in Colorado - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
56.9%
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
$13,222
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 270 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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
White 52.4%
Hispanic or Latino 27.0%
Asian 11.2%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.3, Westgate Community School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, which includes Westgate Community School.
$13,222
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 44.8%
Federal 9.8%
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 Westgate Community School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northglenn High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain Range High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stargate Charter School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Westgate Community School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,052
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,788
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,572
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other 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 (~540 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Westgate Community School's federal record.
- Compare Westgate Community School against another school. Compare schools
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools'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 Westgate Community School
How many students attend Westgate Community School?
Westgate Community School has 540 students enrolled. It is a public school in Thornton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Westgate Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Westgate Community School is 20.8:1, which is 25% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Westgate Community School?
14.6% of students at Westgate Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Westgate Community School?
The largest demographic group at Westgate Community School is White at 52.4% of enrollment, in Thornton, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Westgate Community School?
Westgate Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Westgate Community School rank among schools in Thornton?
By Resource Investment Index, Westgate Community School ranks #16 of 21 schools in Thornton, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Thornton on the city page.
Is Westgate Community School a good school?
Westgate Community School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Adams 12 Five Star Schools?
Besides Westgate Community School, Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students), Horizon High School (1,966 students), and Northglenn High School (1,844 students). See the Adams 12 Five Star Schools 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.