Enrollment
497
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Littleton, CO
Shaffer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Shaffer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080480001395
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shaffer Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Colorado schools.
- #20 of 22
- schools in Littleton · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 13.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Shaffer Elementary School has class sizes larger than 75% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shaffer Elementary School ranks #20 of 22 schools in Littleton, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480001395 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shaffer Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shaffer Elementary School
Shaffer Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Littleton, Colorado, enrolling 497 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 13.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 497 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 380 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #277, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 994 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.9% 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 Shaffer 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 Shaffer Elementary School compares
Shaffer 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 11% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.1% | ▼ 66% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 497 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
497
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Colorado - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 79.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 1.8%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.1, Shaffer Elementary School 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 Shaffer 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 Shaffer 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 | Similar 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shaffer 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 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 (~497 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shaffer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Shaffer 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 Shaffer Elementary School
How many students attend Shaffer Elementary School?
Shaffer Elementary School has 497 students enrolled. It is a public school in Littleton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shaffer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shaffer Elementary School is 18.4:1, which is 11% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shaffer Elementary School?
13.1% of students at Shaffer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shaffer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Shaffer Elementary School is White at 79.9% of enrollment, in Littleton, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shaffer Elementary School?
Shaffer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Shaffer Elementary School rank among schools in Littleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Shaffer Elementary School ranks #20 of 22 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 schools in Littleton on the city page.
Is Shaffer Elementary School a good school?
Shaffer Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Shaffer 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.