Enrollment
293
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Golden, CO
Welchester Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Welchester Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080480000799
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Welchester Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #7 of 9
- schools in Golden · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 64.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Welchester Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Welchester Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in Golden, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480000799 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Welchester Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Welchester Elementary School
Welchester Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Golden, Colorado, enrolling 293 students.
At 16.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 293 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 200 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #148, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 60/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% 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 Welchester 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 Welchester Elementary School compares
Welchester 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.6% | ▲ 68% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 293 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
293
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in Colorado - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.2%
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
25
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.6 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 52.6%
Hispanic or Latino 34.8%
African American 5.1%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 52.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.7, Welchester 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 Welchester 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 Welchester 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Welchester 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 other 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 (~293 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Welchester Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Welchester 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 Welchester Elementary School
How many students attend Welchester Elementary School?
Welchester Elementary School has 293 students enrolled. It is a public school in Golden, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Welchester Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Welchester Elementary School is 16.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 4% higher 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 Welchester Elementary School?
64.6% of students at Welchester Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Welchester Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Welchester Elementary School is White at 52.6% of enrollment, in Golden, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Welchester Elementary School?
Welchester Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Welchester Elementary School rank among schools in Golden?
By Resource Investment Index, Welchester Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in Golden, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Golden on the city page.
Is Welchester Elementary School a good school?
Welchester Elementary School earns 36/100 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Welchester 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.