Enrollment
522
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Littleton, CO
Powderhorn Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Powderhorn Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080480001006
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Powderhorn Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools.
- #10 of 11
- elementary schools in Littleton · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 20.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Powderhorn Elementary School has class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Powderhorn Elementary School ranks #10 of 11 elementary schools in Littleton, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480001006 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Powderhorn Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Powderhorn Elementary School
Powderhorn Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Littleton, Colorado, enrolling 522 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 522 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 385 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #323, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 522 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
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 Powderhorn 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 Powderhorn Elementary School compares
Powderhorn 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 12% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.1% | ▼ 48% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 522 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
522
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Colorado - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.4%
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
$13,124
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 522 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
White 70.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.6%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 2.3%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.4, Powderhorn Elementary School is about as mixed as 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 Powderhorn Elementary School.
$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 Powderhorn Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Powderhorn Elementary School'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 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 (~522 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Powderhorn Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Powderhorn Elementary School 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 Powderhorn Elementary School
How many students attend Powderhorn Elementary School?
Powderhorn Elementary School has 522 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Littleton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Powderhorn Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Powderhorn Elementary School is 18.6:1, which is 12% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Powderhorn Elementary School?
20.1% of students at Powderhorn Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Powderhorn Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Powderhorn Elementary School is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Littleton, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Powderhorn Elementary School?
Powderhorn Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Powderhorn Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Littleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Powderhorn Elementary School ranks #10 of 11 elementary schools in Littleton, 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 Littleton on the city page.
Is Powderhorn Elementary School a good school?
Powderhorn Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Powderhorn Elementary School, 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.