Enrollment
418
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Thornton, CO
Stellar Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Stellar 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 080690006303
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stellar Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Thornton · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 40.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Stellar Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stellar Elementary School ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Thornton, CO.
School address
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado
NCES ID 080690006303 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stellar Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stellar Elementary School
Stellar Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Thornton, Colorado, enrolling 418 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 40.9% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 418 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 315 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #252, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (32%) (diversity index 58/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students) and Horizon High School (1,966 students) alongside Stellar 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 Stellar Elementary School compares
Stellar 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.9% | ▲ 6% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 418 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
418
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Colorado - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
39.5%
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
$13,222
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
8
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 56.0%
White 31.8%
Asian 5.3%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.0, Stellar 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 Adams 12 Five Star Schools, which includes Stellar Elementary School.
$13,222
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 44.8%
Federal 9.8%
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 Stellar Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northglenn High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain Range High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stargate Charter School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stellar Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,052
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,788
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,572
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~418 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stellar Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Stellar Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools'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 Stellar Elementary School
How many students attend Stellar Elementary School?
Stellar Elementary School has 418 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Thornton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stellar Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stellar Elementary School is 17.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Stellar Elementary School?
40.9% of students at Stellar Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stellar Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Stellar Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 56.0% of enrollment, in Thornton, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stellar Elementary School?
Stellar Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Stellar Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Thornton?
By Resource Investment Index, Stellar Elementary School ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Thornton, 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 Thornton on the city page.
Is Stellar Elementary School a good school?
Stellar Elementary School earns 34/100 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 Adams 12 Five Star Schools?
Besides Stellar Elementary School, Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students), Horizon High School (1,966 students), and Northglenn High School (1,844 students). See the Adams 12 Five Star Schools 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.