Enrollment
521
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arvada, CO
Meiklejohn Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Meiklejohn Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080480001923
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meiklejohn Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 15
- schools in Arvada · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.8:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 3.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Meiklejohn Elementary has class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meiklejohn Elementary ranks #3 of 15 schools in Arvada, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480001923 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meiklejohn Elementary compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meiklejohn Elementary
Meiklejohn Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Arvada, Colorado, enrolling 521 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.5% free-meal eligibility runs 91% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 521 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 249 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #42.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 35/100).
10.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students) alongside Meiklejohn Elementary.
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 Meiklejohn Elementary compares
Meiklejohn Elementary 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 | 3.5% | ▼ 91% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 521 | top 27% | - | - |
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.
521
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; 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
10.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,124
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
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 79.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 79.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.7, Meiklejohn Elementary is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Meiklejohn Elementary.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 7.8%
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 Meiklejohn Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meiklejohn Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~521 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meiklejohn Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Meiklejohn Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. R-1'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 Meiklejohn Elementary
How many students attend Meiklejohn Elementary?
Meiklejohn Elementary has 521 students enrolled. It is a public school in Arvada, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meiklejohn Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Meiklejohn Elementary 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 Meiklejohn Elementary?
3.5% of students at Meiklejohn Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meiklejohn Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Meiklejohn Elementary is White at 79.8% of enrollment, in Arvada, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meiklejohn Elementary?
Meiklejohn Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Meiklejohn Elementary rank among schools in Arvada?
By Resource Investment Index, Meiklejohn Elementary ranks #3 of 15 schools in Arvada, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Arvada on the city page.
Is Meiklejohn Elementary a good school?
Meiklejohn Elementary earns 53/100 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Meiklejohn Elementary, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students), and Chatfield High School (1,808 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. R-1 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.