How many students attend McElwain Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 358 students attended McElwain Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of McElwain Elementary School?

Students at McElwain Elementary School are 54% Hispanic, 23% Asian, 18% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of McElwain Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McElwain Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Thornton Middle School High : Thornton High School

McElwain Elementary School

Summary:

McElwain Elementary School is a public elementary school in Thornton, Colorado, serving 369 students in grades K-5 as part of the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district.

While McElwain has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (62.6%) compared to surrounding schools, its academic performance is significantly lower than district and state averages. In 2022-2023, only 13.6% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and just 5.8% were proficient or better in math, compared to district averages of 40.9% and 32%, respectively. McElwain has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Colorado elementary schools over the past 10 years, making it one of the lowest-performing schools in the state. The school also has an exceptionally high rate of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, ranging from 78.73% to 89.16% over the past 3 years, suggesting significant socioeconomic challenges.

Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.6 to 14.1 over the past 3 years, McElwain's academic struggles persist. The school's high percentage of Hispanic students, combined with its low performance, indicates that it may be struggling to meet the needs of its diverse student population. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach that targets the specific needs of the school and its students. Nearby schools, such as Monterey Community School, Thornton Elementary School, and Welby Community School of the Arts, also face challenges, but McElwain stands out as the lowest-performing school in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district.

Detail:

Public K-5

1020 Dawson Drive
Thornton, CO 80229-4909

(720) 972-5500

District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,836

Students who attend McElwain Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Thornton Middle School
High:	Thornton High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 358

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.6%

Asian:

22.9%

White:

17.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.6%

See top rated Colorado public schools

Compare McElwain Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McElwain Elementary School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.64. (See more...)

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 Student population at McElwain Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (53.6%), Asian (22.9%), White (17.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McElwain Elementary School is 13.5, which is the 3^rd best among 32 elementary schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District. (See more...)

Compare McElwain Elementary School employs 26.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McElwain Elementary School is $17,836, which is the 8^th highest among 32 elementary schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

McElwain Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Adams 12 Five Star Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Adams 12 Five Star Schools 53^rd of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McElwain Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at McElwain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	4.14	774^th	808	4.2%
2005	12.98	725^th	823	11.9%
2006	4.18	805^th	829	2.9%
2007	2.91	838^th	852	1.6%
2008	2.36	838^th	849	1.3%
2009	4.60	838^th	872	3.9%
2010	5.33	888^th	925	4.0%
2011	4.31	913^th	935	2.4%
2012	5.37	910^th	935	2.7%
2013	6.85	903^rd	954	5.3%
2014	6.45	939^th	962	2.4%
2015	7.52	931^st	938	0.7%
2016	7.55	895^th	914	2.1%
2017	6.67	918^th	929	1.2%
2018	6.82	908^th	917	1.0%
2019	12.29	877^th	965	9.1%
2022	7.46	905^th	921	1.7%
2023	5.64	928^th	933	0.5%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at McElwain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	7.08	747^th	758	1.5%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at McElwain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	13.89	684^th	764	10.5%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at McElwain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	26.35	218^th	270	19.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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

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Enrollment information for McElwain Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	208	5	14	120	1	n/a	n/a	348
1989	284	12	12	163	4	n/a	n/a	475
1990	331	13	9	166	4	n/a	n/a	523
1991	328	18	10	155	7	n/a	n/a	518
1992	304	19	10	178	8	n/a	n/a	519
1993	293	13	11	201	4	n/a	n/a	522
1994	302	12	10	215	1	n/a	n/a	540
1995	257	30	3	285	4	n/a	n/a	579
1996	257	30	3	285	4	n/a	n/a	579
1997	208	21	2	295	3	n/a	n/a	529
1998	180	28	12	299	3	n/a	n/a	522
1999	189	22	13	316	4	n/a	n/a	544
2000	153	8	9	307	5	n/a	n/a	482
2001	138	14	3	369	0	n/a	n/a	524
2002	77	17	4	321	0	n/a	n/a	419
2003	77	17	4	321	0	n/a	n/a	419
2004	66	15	2	300	3	n/a	n/a	386
2005	60	11	4	322	4	n/a	n/a	401
2006	54	11	3	332	9	n/a	n/a	409
2007	44	10	0	333	8	n/a	n/a	395
2008	53	17	0	411	2	n/a	n/a	483
2009	56	27	3	357	7	n/a	n/a	450
2010	54	24	3	405	4	n/a	n/a	490
2011	71	6	1	390	1	0	3	472
2012	46	17	2	366	3	0	5	439
2013	55	24	6	328	5	0	9	427
2014	52	24	2	346	8	0	11	443
2015	42	19	0	360	6	0	12	439
2016	45	19	0	357	3	0	11	435
2017	57	15	3	333	2	0	10	420
2018	67	19	7	355	4	0	5	457
2019	70	18	25	300	3	1	6	423
2020	65	18	39	298	3	1	7	431
2021	59	11	38	255	1	2	5	371
2022	66	7	38	243	2	1	5	362
2023	65	4	61	231	0	0	8	369
2024	63	7	82	192	0	0	14	358

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 McElwain Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	348	19.7	17.6	n/a
1989	475	23.9	19.8	45.7
1990	523	25.3	20.6	46.7
1991	518	27.5	18.8	47.7
1992	519	27.0	19.2	49.3
1993	522	25.1	20.8	45.2
1994	540	26.4	20.5	51.5
1995	579	22.4	25.8	53.5
1996	579	22.4	25.8	53.5
1997	529	26.6	19.9	58
1998	522	26.8	19.5	61.7
1999	544	29.4	18.5	61.9
2000	482	32.2	15.0	66.8
2001	524	32.1	16.3	67.6
2002	419	28.0	15.0	76.1
2003	419	28.0	15.0	76.1
2004	386	25.8	15.0	79.5
2005	401	25.2	15.9	83
2006	409	27.2	15.0	85.6
2007	395	21.0	18.8	80.3
2008	483	27.0	17.9	79.3
2009	450	26.5	17.0	90.4
2010	490	28.0	17.4	93.1
2011	472	30.5	15.4	94.7
2012	439	25.0	17.5	93.4
2013	427	24.5	17.4	92
2014	443	26.5	16.7	91.9
2015	439	26.0	16.8	81.1
2016	435	26.0	16.7	81.8
2017	420	25.0	16.8	79.8
2018	457	26.2	17.4	82.7
2019	423	24.5	17.2	77.3
2020	431	25.7	16.7	79.1
2021	371	27.2	13.6	83.8
2022	362	26.0	13.9	78.7
2023	369	26.0	14.1	89.2
2024	358	26.5	13.5	91.6

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 McElwain Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	348	19.7	17.6	n/a
1989	475	23.9	19.8	45.7
1990	523	25.3	20.6	46.7
1991	518	27.5	18.8	47.7
1992	519	27.0	19.2	49.3
1993	522	25.1	20.8	45.2
1994	540	26.4	20.5	51.5
1995	579	22.4	25.8	53.5
1996	579	22.4	25.8	53.5
1997	529	26.6	19.9	58
1998	522	26.8	19.5	61.7
1999	544	29.4	18.5	61.9
2000	482	32.2	15.0	66.8
2001	524	32.1	16.3	67.6
2002	419	28.0	15.0	76.1
2003	419	28.0	15.0	76.1
2004	386	25.8	15.0	79.5
2005	401	25.2	15.9	83
2006	409	27.2	15.0	85.6
2007	395	21.0	18.8	80.3
2008	483	27.0	17.9	79.3
2009	450	26.5	17.0	90.4
2010	490	28.0	17.4	93.1
2011	472	30.5	15.4	94.7
2012	439	25.0	17.5	93.4
2013	427	24.5	17.4	92
2014	443	26.5	16.7	91.9
2015	439	26.0	16.8	81.1
2016	435	26.0	16.7	81.8
2017	420	25.0	16.8	79.8
2018	457	26.2	17.4	82.7
2019	423	24.5	17.2	77.3
2020	431	25.7	16.7	79.1
2021	371	27.2	13.6	83.8
2022	362	26.0	13.9	78.7
2023	369	26.0	14.1	89.2
2024	358	26.5	13.5	91.6

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 McElwain Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,710
2020	$12,637
2021	$15,083
2022	$15,686
2023	$17,836

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McElwain Elementary 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 877^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 928^th of 933 Elementary schools	8.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (McElwain Elementary School)	22.7	10.2	12.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	38.2	38.7	0.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (McElwain Elementary School)	15.2	6.6	8.6%
3rd Grade Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	35.3	35.8	0.5%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (McElwain Elementary School)	23.8	16.4	7.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	46.5	43.5	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
5th Grade Science (McElwain Elementary School)	15.3	5.4	9.9%
5th Grade Science (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	39.8	32	7.8%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (McElwain Elementary School)	27	14.5	12.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	49.2	44.2	5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
All Grades English Language Arts (McElwain Elementary School)	24.6	13.6	11%
All Grades English Language Arts (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	44.7	40.9	3.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (McElwain Elementary School)	13.4	5.8	7.6%
All Grades Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	35	32	3%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	423	369	12.8%
African American	18	4	77.8%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	25	61	144%
Hispanic	300	231	23%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	70	65	7.1%
Two or More Races	6	8	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.3%	89.2%	11.9%

Schools Near McElwain Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
McElwain Elementary School	Public	K-5	1020 Dawson Drive	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5500	358	27	13.5	91.6%	63 (17.6%)	7 (2.0%)	192 (53.6%)	82 (22.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.9%)								(n/a)			11.1				7.9							3.3			$17,836
Coronado Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8300 Downing Drive	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5320	433	29	15.1	86.8%	52 (12.0%)	6 (1.4%)	352 (81.3%)	16 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	7.9	914^th of 943 public elementary schools	3.1%		6	926^th of 933 public elementary schools	0.8%	12	12.7	6.8	14.8				11.3	10.2	7.9	14.8				10.9	15.9		$17,898
Monterey Community School	Public	K-8	2210 McElwain Blvd	Denver	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 853-1360	427	21	20.3	82.0%	59 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	350 (82.0%)	8 (1.9%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	19.3	749^th of 943 public elementary schools	20.6%		14	830^th of 933 public elementary schools	11.0%	81	21.1			30.0	30.0	20.0	22.4	28.2	17.1		13.7			10.3		13.2	$13,630
Thornton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Eppinger Boulevard	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5660	372	28	13.1	87.6%	50 (13.4%)	11 (3.0%)	274 (73.7%)	25 (6.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	8.1	912^th of 943 public elementary schools	3.3%		8.7	899^th of 933 public elementary schools	3.6%	13	22.0						10.5		5.2					4.3	7.0		$17,156
Welby Community School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	1200 E 78th Ave	Denver	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1700	319	19	17.1	77.4%	61 (19.1%)	0 (0.0%)	241 (75.5%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.1%)	27	652^nd of 943 public elementary schools	30.9%		19.1	752^nd of 933 public elementary schools	19.4%	100	18.9		42.9				24.4	25.0	14.6	37.1	16.7			23.6	31.4		$16,297
Clayton Partnership School	Public, Magnet	K-8	8970 York St	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1460	441	24	18.6	81.4%	35 (7.9%)	4 (0.9%)	386 (87.5%)	7 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	15.8	792^nd of 943 public elementary schools	16.0%		21.1	718^th of 933 public elementary schools	23.0%	74	20.0	12.8	12.5	26.5	36.2	25.0	22.8	22.2	28.2			15.2	8.0	13.7			$15,502
Achieve Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	9100 Poze Blvd	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1300	386	20	19.2	80.6%	40 (10.4%)	2 (0.5%)	325 (84.2%)	11 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	18.8	754^th of 943 public elementary schools	20.0%		24.7	677^th of 933 public elementary schools	27.4%	77	29.4	12.5	38.5	18.2			19.0	26.3	15.0	17.9			10.2	13.3	29.6	6.7	$15,178
North Star Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8740 North Star Drive	Denver	80260	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5560	331	21	15.7	92.1%	34 (10.3%)	17 (5.1%)	267 (80.7%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)								(n/a)		8.9													9.8		$18,789
Preschool on Poze	Public	PK	2410 Poze Blvd	Thornton	80029	Broomfield County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 853-1000	186	10	17.8	66.7%	40 (21.5%)	3 (1.6%)	134 (72.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)								(n/a)																	$17,941
Adventure Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	7725 Conifer Rd	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1410	397	22	18.2	77.3%	36 (9.1%)	5 (1.3%)	342 (86.1%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.3%)	21.7	721^st of 943 public elementary schools	23.5%		19.4	747^th of 933 public elementary schools	19.9%	26	27.3	22.9	34.2	22.9			26.9	30.4	13.5	25.6	22.2			23.4	18.4		$14,805

McElwain Elementary School

Adams 12 Five Star Schools:

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Rank History for McElwain Elementary School

Rank History for all students at McElwain Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at McElwain Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at McElwain Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at McElwain Elementary School

Enrollment information for McElwain Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McElwain Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio McElwain Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for McElwain Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on McElwain Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near McElwain Elementary School