Enrollment
361
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 080690001182
Mcelwain Elementary School — Thornton, CO
Federal NCES profile for Mcelwain Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
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
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado
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)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 16.9:1 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
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
Mcelwain Elementary School reports 361 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% below the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 79.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 108% above the Colorado average and 54% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 63.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Adams 12 Five Star Schools spends $14,916 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 45.4% from local sources (property taxes), 44.8% from the state, and 9.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Mcelwain Elementary 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 16% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.9% | ▲ 108% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 361 | top 50% | — | — |
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
79.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 108% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
— 16% below state mean
Top 30% in Colorado — lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
63.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,916
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
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
Enrollment 361 Top 50% in Colorado — larger than 50% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 -16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 79.9% +108% vs state
NCES ID 080690001182
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 63.4%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 22
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, which includes Mcelwain Elementary School.
$14,916
Per student
-29%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,052
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,788
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Enrollment
- 1,572
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Thornton
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Stem Launch
Standard public school
677 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Silver Creek Elementary
Standard public school
538 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Eagleview Elementary School
Standard public school
451 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Clayton Partnership School
Standard public school
430 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Stellar Elementary School
Standard public school
418 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Prairie Hills Elementary School
Standard public school
378 students 18.7:1 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 Mcelwain Elementary School
How many students attend Mcelwain Elementary School?
Mcelwain Elementary School has 361 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in THORNTON, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcelwain Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcelwain Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 16% lower than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in THORNTON, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcelwain Elementary School?
Mcelwain Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.