Enrollment
677
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Thornton, CO
Stem Launch
Federal NCES profile for Stem Launch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080690006561
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stem Launch earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Colorado schools.
- #4 of 8
- elementary schools in Thornton · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 56.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Stem Launch has class sizes smaller than 72% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stem Launch ranks #4 of 8 elementary schools in Thornton, CO.
School address
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado
NCES ID 080690006561 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stem Launch compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stem Launch
Stem Launch is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Thornton, Colorado, enrolling 677 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 677 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 166 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #70.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and White (20%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 226 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.8% 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 Stem Launch.
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 Stem Launch compares
Stem Launch on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 19% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.9% | ▲ 48% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 677 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
677
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 28% in Colorado - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.8%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 226 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 73.3%
White 19.8%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 1.6%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.2, Stem Launch is less 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 Stem Launch.
$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 Stem Launch 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain Range High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stargate Charter School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stem Launch'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 (~677 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stem Launch's federal record.
- Compare Stem Launch 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 Stem Launch
How many students attend Stem Launch?
Stem Launch has 677 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Thornton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stem Launch?
The student-teacher ratio at Stem Launch is 13.5:1, which is 19% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 14% lower 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 Stem Launch?
56.9% of students at Stem Launch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stem Launch?
The largest demographic group at Stem Launch is Hispanic or Latino at 73.3% of enrollment, in Thornton, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stem Launch?
Stem Launch has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Stem Launch rank among elementary schools in Thornton?
By Resource Investment Index, Stem Launch ranks #4 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 Stem Launch a good school?
Stem Launch earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Adams 12 Five Star Schools?
Besides Stem Launch, 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.