Enrollment
673
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 080258006857
Southlawn Elementary School — Commerce City, CO
Federal NCES profile for Southlawn Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 20/100.
👥 Class size 20
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: School District 27j · 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)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southlawn 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
Southlawn Elementary School reports 673 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% above the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 26% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 32.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 15% below the Colorado average and 37% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding School District 27j spends $13,426 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 44.5% from local sources (property taxes), 47.7% from the state, and 7.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F), calculated from 1 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 Southlawn 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 | 20:1 | ▲ 18% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 15% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 673 | top 84% | — | — |
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
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 15% 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
20:1
students per teacher
— 18% above state mean
Top 88% in Colorado — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$13,426
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.
Overview
Enrollment 673 Top 84% in Colorado — larger than 16% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 20:1 +18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 32.7% -15% vs state
NCES ID 080258006857
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 52.2%
White 25.0%
African American 13.5%
Asian 5.1%
Two or More 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.2% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District 27j, which includes Southlawn Elementary School.
$13,426
Per student
-36%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 47.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,042
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,784
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,733
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,214
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
Similar other schools in Commerce City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Turnberry Elementary
Standard public school
742 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Reunion Elementary School
Standard public school
742 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Second Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
697 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Kemp Elementary School
Standard public school
517 students 16:1 students per teacher
Alsup Elementary School
Standard public school
492 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Dupont Elementary School
Standard public school
488 students 17:1 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 Southlawn Elementary School
How many students attend Southlawn Elementary School?
Southlawn Elementary School has 673 students enrolled. It is a other school in COMMERCE CITY, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southlawn Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southlawn Elementary School is 20:1, which is 18% higher than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southlawn Elementary School?
32.7% of students at Southlawn Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southlawn Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southlawn Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 52.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in COMMERCE CITY, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southlawn Elementary School?
Southlawn Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.