Enrollment
410
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 080234000084
William Smith High School — Aurora, CO
Federal NCES profile for William Smith High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 28
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
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)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.3%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Smith High School 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
William Smith High School reports 410 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% 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 14% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 61.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 59% above the Colorado average and 18% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 205 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation 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 42/100 (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 William Smith High School 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 7% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.3% | ▲ 59% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 410 | top 59% | — | — |
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
61.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 59% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 75% in Colorado — lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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 205 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 410 Top 59% in Colorado — larger than 41% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 18.1:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 61.3% +59% vs state
NCES ID 080234000084
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 77.6%
White 10.2%
African American 6.1%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 205:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 35
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a, which includes William Smith High School.
$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 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
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory
Standard public school
2,045 students 21.4:1 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 William Smith High School
How many students attend William Smith High School?
William Smith High School has 410 students enrolled. It is a high school in AURORA, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Smith High School?
The student-teacher ratio at William Smith High School is 18.1:1, which is 7% higher than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William Smith High School?
61.3% of students at William Smith High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Smith High School?
The largest demographic group at William Smith High School is Hispanic or Latino at 77.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in AURORA, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Smith High School?
William Smith High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 4 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.