McLain Community High School

Summary:

McLain Community High School is a public high school serving grades 7-12 in Lakewood, Colorado, with a student population of 395 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools, with a more diverse student population, lower academic performance, and higher rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

McLain Community High School consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Colorado high schools, with a statewide ranking of 319 out of 349 in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's test scores are significantly lower than the district and state averages, with only 24% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Reading and Writing, and just 6% proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 67% and 40% in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, respectively. Additionally, 62.03% of McLain's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the nearby Lakewood High School (42.97%) and Green Mountain High School (27%).

The nearby schools, such as Jefferson County Open Secondary, Lakewood High School, and Green Mountain High School, have significantly higher academic performance and test scores compared to McLain Community High School. Additionally, within a short distance from McLain, there are several alternative public high schools, including Jeffco Virtual Academy, Longview High School, and schools operated by the Byers School District No. 32J, which may offer different educational approaches and opportunities that could be more suitable for some students.

Detail:

Public 7-12

13600 West 2nd Place
Lakewood, CO 80228-1204

(303) 982-7460

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
319^th of 349 Colorado High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,005

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 408

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.7%

Hispanic:

40.2%

Two or more races:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details McLain Community High School ranks worse than 91.4% of high schools in Colorado. It also ranks 21^st among 24 ranked high schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.07. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at McLain Community High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (52.7%), Hispanic (40.2%), two or more races (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McLain Community High School is 12.5, which is the 5^th best among 24 high schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1. (See more...)

Compare McLain Community High School employs 32.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McLain Community High School is $22,005, which is the 4^th highest among 24 high schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McLain Community High School:

SchoolDigger ranks McLain Community High School 319^th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See McLain Community High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Jefferson County School District No. R-1:

SchoolDigger ranks Jefferson County School District No. R-1 35^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McLain Community High School

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Rank History for all students at McLain Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	11.79	252^nd	279	9.7%
2005	6.35	262^nd	280	6.4%
2006	6.43	268^th	286	6.3%
2007	16.58	254^th	298	14.8%
2008	17.08	256^th	301	15.0%
2009	17.12	261^st	310	15.8%
2010	24.39	256^th	327	21.7%
2011	12.58	293^rd	337	13.1%
2012	6.49	311^th	334	6.9%
2013	7.83	312^th	349	10.6%
2014	5.23	345^th	369	6.5%
2018	7.09	356^th	388	8.2%
2019	6.62	379^th	411	7.8%
2023	7.14	324^th	349	7.2%
2024	9.07	319^th	349	8.6%

See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at McLain Community High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	0.36	233^rd	234	0.4%
2024	0.83	229^th	229	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for McLain Community High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1991	148	0	2	10	2	n/a	n/a	162
1992	143	1	2	15	3	n/a	n/a	164
1993	133	1	2	20	2	n/a	n/a	158
1994	155	3	4	29	1	n/a	n/a	192
1995	163	1	2	27	2	n/a	n/a	195
1996	163	1	2	27	2	n/a	n/a	195
1997	145	1	3	35	4	n/a	n/a	188
1998	156	4	1	29	3	n/a	n/a	193
1999	167	1	0	32	3	n/a	n/a	203
2000	171	1	3	36	7	n/a	n/a	218
2001	224	4	5	55	5	n/a	n/a	293
2002	350	9	3	77	5	n/a	n/a	444
2003	350	9	3	77	5	n/a	n/a	444
2004	326	13	8	81	5	n/a	n/a	433
2005	387	6	8	105	7	n/a	n/a	513
2006	382	8	8	107	4	n/a	n/a	509
2007	372	6	5	91	6	n/a	n/a	480
2008	340	12	4	107	12	n/a	n/a	475
2009	319	5	5	95	8	n/a	n/a	432
2010	311	8	5	101	8	n/a	n/a	433
2011	257	6	5	97	4	1	7	377
2012	286	4	4	75	4	2	10	385
2013	251	6	3	79	2	0	13	354
2014	256	2	1	107	4	1	16	387
2015	278	3	0	89	6	0	15	391
2016	266	1	0	86	10	0	12	375
2017	260	2	0	97	9	0	16	384
2018	233	6	2	99	5	1	11	357
2019	275	9	1	112	6	3	17	423
2020	251	5	2	114	2	1	17	392
2021	212	5	5	112	4	0	12	350
2022	221	4	2	146	6	0	18	397
2023	210	4	1	157	3	2	18	395
2024	215	6	1	164	2	2	18	408

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McLain Community High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	162	0.0	0.0	0
1992	164	0.0	0.0	n/a
1993	158	0.0	0.0	0
1994	192	0.0	n/a	5.7
1995	195	0.0	0.0	7.2
1996	195	0.0	0.0	7.2
1997	188	0.0	0.0	6.4
1998	193	0.0	0.0	10.9
1999	203	0.0	0.0	7.4
2000	218	0.0	0.0	13.8
2001	293	0.0	0.0	9.6
2002	444	39.0	11.4	17.6
2003	444	39.0	11.4	17.6
2004	433	21.8	19.9	17.1
2005	513	24.4	21.0	1
2006	509	24.4	20.9	27.1
2007	480	25.4	18.9	33.1
2008	475	25.7	18.5	27.8
2009	432	27.6	15.7	31.5
2010	433	24.8	17.4	29.8
2011	377	25.7	14.6	40.8
2012	385	24.8	15.5	42.3
2013	354	10.0	35.4	47.7
2014	387	19.2	20.1	51.7
2015	391	23.0	17.0	41.7
2016	375	24.0	15.6	44.5
2017	384	23.6	16.2	51.8
2018	357	24.7	14.4	48.2
2019	423	30.0	14.0	52
2020	392	31.1	12.5	54.1
2021	350	31.7	11.0	51.4
2022	397	32.9	12.0	49.9
2023	395	31.3	12.6	62
2024	408	32.5	12.5	61.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McLain Community High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	162	0.0	0.0	0
1992	164	0.0	0.0	n/a
1993	158	0.0	0.0	0
1994	192	0.0	n/a	5.7
1995	195	0.0	0.0	7.2
1996	195	0.0	0.0	7.2
1997	188	0.0	0.0	6.4
1998	193	0.0	0.0	10.9
1999	203	0.0	0.0	7.4
2000	218	0.0	0.0	13.8
2001	293	0.0	0.0	9.6
2002	444	39.0	11.4	17.6
2003	444	39.0	11.4	17.6
2004	433	21.8	19.9	17.1
2005	513	24.4	21.0	1
2006	509	24.4	20.9	27.1
2007	480	25.4	18.9	33.1
2008	475	25.7	18.5	27.8
2009	432	27.6	15.7	31.5
2010	433	24.8	17.4	29.8
2011	377	25.7	14.6	40.8
2012	385	24.8	15.5	42.3
2013	354	10.0	35.4	47.7
2014	387	19.2	20.1	51.7
2015	391	23.0	17.0	41.7
2016	375	24.0	15.6	44.5
2017	384	23.6	16.2	51.8
2018	357	24.7	14.4	48.2
2019	423	30.0	14.0	52
2020	392	31.1	12.5	54.1
2021	350	31.7	11.0	51.4
2022	397	32.9	12.0	49.9
2023	395	31.3	12.6	62
2024	408	32.5	12.5	61.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for McLain Community High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$16,451
2020	$18,267
2021	$19,081
2022	$19,821
2023	$22,005

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McLain Community High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 379^th of 411 High schools	Ranks 324^th of 349 High schools	0.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	423	395	6.6%
African American	9	4	55.6%
American Indian	6	3	50%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	112	157	40.2%
Pacific Islander	3	2	33.3%
White	275	210	23.6%
Two or More Races	17	18	5.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52%	62%	10%

Schools Near McLain Community High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2024)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2024)	SAT Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	CMAS English Language Arts (2024)		CMAS Math (2024)	CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
McLain Community High School	Public	7-12	13600 West 2nd Place	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-7460	408	33	12.5	61.5%	215 (52.7%)	6 (1.5%)	164 (40.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	18 (4.4%)	9.1	319^th of 349 public high schools	8.6%		7.1	324^th of 349 public high schools	7.2%	5	39.0				24.0	6.0					$22,005
Warren Technical	Public	11-12	13300 West 2nd Place	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-8600	28	41	.6		23 (82.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.6%)								(n/a)
Longview High School	Public	9-12	13301 West 2nd Place	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-8523	25	5	4.9	84.0%	4 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (68.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (12.0%)								(n/a)											$33,921
Colorado Virtual Academy High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	165 S. Union Blvd #777	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Byers School District No. 32J	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 255-4650	602	10	57.7		318 (52.8%)	44 (7.3%)	220 (36.5%)	11 (1.8%)	8 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$9,126
Astravo Online Academy High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	165 South Union Blvd Suite 777	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Byers School District No. 32J	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 822-5292	2,578	43	59.4		1,305 (50.6%)	228 (8.8%)	962 (37.3%)	38 (1.5%)	25 (1.0%)	20 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25.4	254^th of 349 public high schools	27.2%		30.6	235^th of 349 public high schools	32.7%	19	54.0		44.0		47.0					12.1	$9,164
Colorado Online High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	165 S. Union Blvd #777	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Byers School District No. 32J	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 255-4650	389	5	74.9		258 (66.3%)	32 (8.2%)	76 (19.5%)	19 (4.9%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$7,091
Green Mountain High School	Public	9-12	13175 W Green Mountain Drive	Lakewood	80228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-9500	1,081	56	19.3	26.4%	780 (72.2%)	11 (1.0%)	201 (18.6%)	31 (2.9%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (4.8%)	70	97^th of 349 public high schools	72.2%		75.8	79^th of 349 public high schools	77.4%	18	74.0	43.0	74.0	50.0	67.0	37.0				46.2	$15,209
Jeffco Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	1829 Denver West Drive Bldg #	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 982-6770	441	22	20.0		262 (59.4%)	6 (1.4%)	137 (31.1%)	3 (0.7%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.1%)	46.1	178^th of 349 public high schools	49.0%		35.5	216^th of 349 public high schools	38.1%	38					68.0	14.0	22.2	24.2	21.2		$17,341
Lakewood High School	Public	9-12	9700 West 8th Avenue	Lakewood	80215	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-7085	1,798	96	18.7	43.9%	863 (48.0%)	36 (2.0%)	720 (40.0%)	83 (4.6%)	9 (0.5%)	2 (0.1%)	85 (4.7%)	68.7	99^th of 349 public high schools	71.6%		71.2	93^rd of 349 public high schools	73.4%	6	72.0	48.0	69.0	52.0	65.0	40.0				32.5	$14,321
Lookout Mountain	Public	5-12	2901 Ford Street	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	Division of Youth Services	No	No	No	No	(303) 273-2600																			(n/a)											$00

Frequently Asked Questions about McLain Community High School

How many students attend McLain Community High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 408 students attended McLain Community High School.

What is the racial makeup of McLain Community High School?

Students at McLain Community High School are 53% White, 40% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is McLain Community High School a good school?

McLain Community High School ranks in the bottom 8.6% of Colorado high schools.

What district is McLain Community High School in?

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.