High Plains School

High Plains School is one of the mid-tier K-5 schools in LOVELAND, Colorado, part of Thompson School District R-2J, with 495 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 379 students per school, that is 31% larger than typical.

High Plains School is one of 32 schools operated by Thompson School District R-2J, a district that enrolls 14,580 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, High Plains School lists that the largest single group is White, at 68% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school records 21% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Asian, 2% Black. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 82%.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.7:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 16.6:1, putting High Plains School higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 34% of students at High Plains School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), High Plains School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 46.0%; this one delivers 47.6%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Larimer County indicate median household earnings sit near $93,765, 53% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Across Larimer County's 94 public schools (combined enrollment of about 47,159 students), High Plains School is one campus in the mix.

Mountain View High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around High Plains School. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), High Plains School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 28.0%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at High Plains School has edged up 5%, going from 473 students in 2018 to 495 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 78% to 68% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 19.8:1 in 2018 to 17.7:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.