Elementary school (grades K-5) · Arvada, CO

Vanderhoof Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Vanderhoof Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080480000793
0/100100/10041/100
👥 S:T ratio
27
🌟 Gifted program
70
📋 Attendance
26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Vanderhoof Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Colorado schools.

#7 of 13
elementary schools in Arvada · Resource Index
41
Resource Index · Typical
18.3:1
large classes for Colorado
24.6%
free-lunch eligible

Vanderhoof Elementary School has class sizes larger than 74% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Vanderhoof Elementary School ranks #7 of 13 elementary schools in Arvada, CO.

Enrollment

403

Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

22.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

18.3:1

vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg

+10% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

24.6%

vs 38.5% Colorado avg

-36% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Vanderhoof Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Vanderhoof Elementary School

Vanderhoof Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Arvada, Colorado, enrolling 403 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.6% of students eligible for free meals.

With 403 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.

Against 383 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #229.

Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 54/100).

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.8% 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 Vanderhoof 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 Vanderhoof Elementary School compares

Vanderhoof 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 18.3:1 ▲ 10% 16.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 24.6% ▼ 36% 38.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 403 top 42% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
403
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
24.6%
free-lunch eligible - 36% 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
18.3:1
students per teacher - 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Colorado - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.8%
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
$13,124
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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

White 64.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.1%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 5.2%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%

Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 53.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 53.5, Vanderhoof 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Vanderhoof 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 Vanderhoof Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Arvada West High School Larger Similar 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 Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Columbine High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Vanderhoof Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Vanderhoof Elementary School's federal record.

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 Vanderhoof Elementary School

How many students attend Vanderhoof Elementary School?

Vanderhoof Elementary School has 403 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Arvada, CO.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Vanderhoof Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Vanderhoof Elementary School is 18.3:1, which is 10% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vanderhoof Elementary School?

24.6% of students at Vanderhoof Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vanderhoof Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Vanderhoof Elementary School is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Arvada, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Vanderhoof Elementary School?

Vanderhoof Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Vanderhoof Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Arvada?

By Resource Investment Index, Vanderhoof Elementary School ranks #7 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 Vanderhoof Elementary School a good school?

Vanderhoof Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Vanderhoof 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.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 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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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.