Enrollment
361
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Thornton, CO
Mcelwain Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mcelwain Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080690001182
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcelwain Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #8 of 8
- elementary schools in Thornton · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 79.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcelwain Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcelwain Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 elementary schools in Thornton, CO.
School address
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado
NCES ID 080690001182 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+108% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcelwain Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcelwain Elementary School
Mcelwain Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Thornton, Colorado, enrolling 361 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 79.9% of students qualify for free meals, 108% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 361 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 155 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #148, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and Asian (31%) (diversity index 62/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.4% 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 Mcelwain Elementary 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 Mcelwain Elementary School compares
Mcelwain Elementary 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 16% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.9% | ▲ 108% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 361 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
361
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 108% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 31% in Colorado - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
63.4%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 51.2%
Asian 31.0%
White 13.3%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Mcelwain Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, which includes Mcelwain Elementary 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 Mcelwain Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northglenn High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain Range High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stargate Charter School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcelwain Elementary 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 elementary 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 (~361 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcelwain Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mcelwain Elementary 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 Mcelwain Elementary School
How many students attend Mcelwain Elementary School?
Mcelwain Elementary School has 361 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Thornton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcelwain Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcelwain Elementary School is 13.9:1, which is 16% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 11% 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 Mcelwain Elementary School?
79.9% of students at Mcelwain Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcelwain Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mcelwain Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment, in Thornton, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcelwain Elementary School?
Mcelwain Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mcelwain Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Thornton?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcelwain Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 elementary 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 elementary schools in Thornton on the city page.
Is Mcelwain Elementary School a good school?
Mcelwain Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. 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 Mcelwain Elementary 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.