Enrollment
394
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Golden, CO
Shelton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Shelton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080480001044
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shelton Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #5 of 9
- schools in Golden · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 27.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Shelton Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shelton Elementary School ranks #5 of 9 schools in Golden, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480001044 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shelton Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shelton Elementary School
Shelton Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Golden, Colorado, enrolling 394 students.
At 16.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 394 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 375 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #162.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 49/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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 Shelton 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 Shelton Elementary School compares
Shelton 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 1% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.5% | ▼ 29% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 394 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
394
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in Colorado - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.9%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 67.3%
Hispanic or Latino 22.8%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 67.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Shelton Elementary School is more 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 Shelton 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 Shelton 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shelton 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 (~394 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shelton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Shelton 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 Shelton Elementary School
How many students attend Shelton Elementary School?
Shelton Elementary School has 394 students enrolled. It is a public school in Golden, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shelton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shelton Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 1% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 4% higher 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 Shelton Elementary School?
27.5% of students at Shelton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shelton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Shelton Elementary School is White at 67.3% of enrollment, in Golden, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shelton Elementary School?
Shelton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Shelton Elementary School rank among schools in Golden?
By Resource Investment Index, Shelton Elementary School ranks #5 of 9 schools in Golden, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Golden on the city page.
Is Shelton Elementary School a good school?
Shelton Elementary School earns 44/100 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Shelton 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.