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
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10034/100
👥 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

Thornton, CO 80241
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado

NCES ID 080690006303 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+26 students YoY

Stellar Elementary School grew from 406 students in 2022-23 to 432 in 2023-24 (+6.4%).

Teacher FTE lost 24.5 → 24.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Growing CCD campus

+26 students YoY 080690006303 · Thornton, CO Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

418 enr · 17.4:1 · 40.9% lunch · RII 34

Nearest enrollment peer: Legacy High School (2,052 students)

Stellar Elementary School grew from 406 students in 2022-23 to 432 in 2023-24 (+6.4%). Teacher FTE lost 24.5 → 24.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Colorado schools → · Find another →

Stellar Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Stellar Elementary School reports 418 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Stellar Elementary School compares

Stellar Elementary School is a growing campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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
$14,748
per pupil, district-wide - below Colorado avg of $17,910
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints 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.

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

District finance for Adams 12 Five Star Schools reports $14,748 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

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

Adams 12 Five Star Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~418 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)

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. CCD year-over-year: 406 (2022-23) → 432 (2023-24), up 26.

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, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. 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.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .