Enrollment
186
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Arvada, CO
Thomson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thomson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080480000792
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomson Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools.
- #11 of 13
- elementary schools in Arvada · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 54.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomson Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomson Elementary School ranks #11 of 13 elementary schools in Arvada, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480000792 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomson Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomson Elementary School
Thomson Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Arvada, Colorado, enrolling 186 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 54.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 186 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 111 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #94, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 372 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.0% 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 Thomson 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 Thomson Elementary School compares
Thomson 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.8% | ▲ 42% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 186 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
186
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 26% in Colorado - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.0%
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.1 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Thomson 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 Thomson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Lower 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomson 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 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 (~186 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thomson 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 Thomson Elementary School
How many students attend Thomson Elementary School?
Thomson Elementary School has 186 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Arvada, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomson Elementary School is 13.3:1, which is 20% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 15% 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 Thomson Elementary School?
54.8% of students at Thomson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomson Elementary School?
Thomson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Thomson Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Arvada?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomson Elementary School ranks #11 of 13 elementary schools in Arvada, 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 Arvada on the city page.
Is Thomson Elementary School a good school?
Thomson Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Thomson 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.