Thornton Middle

Summary:

Thornton Middle is a high-performing public middle school located in Fremont, California, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,302 students. It is part of the Fremont Unified School District, which is ranked 174 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Thornton Middle has consistently been ranked among the top middle schools in California, with a current ranking of 92 out of 2,777 middle schools in the state and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thornton Middle consistently outperforms the Fremont Unified School District and the state of California in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Thornton Middle had 78.89% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 73.55% for Fremont Unified and 47.04% for California. In Mathematics, Thornton Middle had 72.68% of students proficient or better, compared to 68.53% for Fremont Unified and 35.54% for California. Thornton Middle's performance is particularly strong for certain student subgroups, such as female, male, and English Language Learner students, ranking among the top middle schools in California for these groups.

Thornton Middle's performance is significantly stronger than the nearby middle schools in the Fremont Unified School District, such as William Hopkins Middle and John M. Horner Middle. Additionally, Thornton Middle is located relatively close to middle schools in the Hayward Unified and New Haven Unified school districts, which generally have lower academic performance compared to Thornton Middle.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 4357 Thornton Ave.
       Fremont, CA  94536-4897


(510) 793-9090

District: Fremont Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
92nd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,532 Help


Students who attend Thornton Middle usually attend:

High:    American High

Feeder schools for Thornton Middle:

Elementary:    Ardenwood Elementary
    Brookvale Elementary
    Forest Park Elementary
    Oliveira Elementary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  25.3 Help
Number of students:  1,854

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
76.2%
Hispanic:
11.1%
White:
6.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  19.6% Help


 See top rated California middle schools

 Compare Thornton Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Thornton Middle ranks better than 96.7% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked middle schools in the Fremont Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.96. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Thornton Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Fremont Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Asian (76.2%), Hispanic (11.1%), White (6.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 19.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thornton Middle is 25.3, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the Fremont Unified School District! (See more...)
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Compare Thornton Middle employs 73.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thornton Middle is $6,532, which is the lowest among 5 middle schools in the Fremont Unified School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thornton Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Thornton Middle 92nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Thornton Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fremont Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Fremont Unified 174th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Thornton Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 82.69 239th 1769 86.5%
2005 78.07 316th 1777 82.2%
2006 79.19 306th 1804 83.0%
2007 80.32 299th 1999 85.0%
2008 75.59 371st 2005 81.5%
2009 82.80 235th 2063 88.6%
2010 81.55 263rd 2179 87.9%
2011 75.37 408th 2236 81.8%
2012 76.74 380th 2259 83.2%
2013 80.36 312th 2379 86.9%
2015 93.39 145th 2477 94.1%
2016 92.03 182nd 2497 92.7%
2017 94.47 139th 2508 94.5%
2018 95.32 114th 2480 95.4%
2019 95.08 130th 2715 95.2%
2022 96.50 98th 2740 96.4%
2023 97.71 66th 2802 97.6%
2024 96.96 92nd 2777 96.7%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.30 182nd 462 60.6%
2019 57.95 268th 554 51.6%
2022 49.95 342nd 665 48.6%
2023 71.18 194th 678 71.4%
2024 55.52 316th 699 54.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.97 120th 1364 91.2%
2019 73.23 186th 1442 87.1%
2022 86.80 71st 1540 95.4%
2023 87.82 68th 1529 95.6%
2024 74.95 121st 1477 91.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 85.65 127th 1538 91.7%
2024 58.08 432nd 1550 72.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.66 563rd 2230 74.8%
2019 67.99 540th 2369 77.2%
2022 68.19 549th 2458 77.7%
2023 88.81 182nd 2549 92.9%
2024 78.41 380th 2575 85.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.59 102nd 2262 95.5%
2019 94.46 113th 2380 95.3%
2022 96.13 94th 2509 96.3%
2023 97.01 70th 2547 97.3%
2024 96.19 94th 2546 96.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.62 263rd 1369 80.8%
2019 60.51 392nd 1491 73.7%
2022 69.53 281st 1531 81.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.08 116th 2273 94.9%
2019 94.65 136th 2407 94.3%
2022 96.02 103rd 2527 95.9%
2023 97.58 65th 2558 97.5%
2024 96.67 84th 2547 96.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.59 99th 700 85.9%
2019 79.91 100th 745 86.6%
2022 80.06 110th 733 85.0%
2023 79.89 111th 718 84.5%
2024 80.62 106th 741 85.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.56 215th 600 64.2%
2019 65.81 182nd 643 71.7%
2022 40.99 340th 637 46.6%
2023 65.81 156th 614 74.6%
2024 51.30 257th 626 58.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.76 818th 2072 60.5%
2019 62.43 632nd 2213 71.4%
2022 50.23 992nd 2359 57.9%
2023 67.46 572nd 2391 76.1%
2024 50.53 982nd 2383 58.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 93.84 2nd 19 89.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Thornton Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.62 528th 1496 64.7%
2019 54.52 708th 1602 55.8%
2022 63.85 523rd 1555 66.4%
2023 69.60 427th 1552 72.5%
2024 60.68 575th 1535 62.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California 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.

Thornton Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Thornton Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 517 40 119 105 8 n/a n/a 0 789
1989 532 46 148 102 9 n/a n/a 0 837
1990 499 46 154 102 9 n/a n/a 0 810
1991 440 46 169 108 7 n/a n/a 0 770
1992 428 52 168 113 6 n/a n/a 0 767
1993 442 44 189 110 7 n/a n/a 0 792
1994 433 46 208 127 5 n/a n/a 0 819
1995 392 55 194 136 6 n/a n/a 0 783
1996 392 55 194 136 6 n/a n/a 0 783
1997 373 56 230 129 5 n/a n/a 0 793
1998 363 51 232 150 4 n/a n/a 0 800
1999 322 41 211 151 0 n/a n/a 0 725
2000 305 64 237 137 2 n/a n/a 0 745
2001 284 51 231 128 2 n/a n/a 9 705
2002 349 74 570 128 3 n/a n/a 0 1124
2003 349 74 570 128 3 n/a n/a 0 1124
2004 314 88 544 137 4 n/a n/a 45 1132
2005 274 86 582 133 6 n/a n/a 8 1089
2006 263 101 550 146 2 n/a n/a 0 1062
2007 249 92 500 128 2 n/a n/a 17 988
2008 228 79 500 134 3 n/a n/a 0 944
2009 220 70 571 135 2 7 13 0 1018
2010 212 67 579 112 3 12 14 0 999
2011 196 69 563 118 2 10 17 0 975
2012 186 89 587 123 6 13 6 0 1010
2013 180 78 621 114 6 12 27 0 1038
2014 163 57 691 118 4 5 38 0 1076
2015 161 46 764 126 1 3 55 0 1156
2016 161 37 819 124 4 3 59 0 1207
2017 176 39 895 92 5 5 66 0 1278
2018 164 33 956 106 3 13 58 0 1333
2019 134 37 929 134 2 15 46 0 1297
2020 109 26 928 149 1 10 50 0 1273
2021 99 24 931 162 2 9 51 0 1278
2022 103 24 965 156 1 7 46 0 1302
2023 95 27 991 144 2 8 35 0 1302
2024 128 32 1412 206 2 16 58 0 1854

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 Thornton Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 789 35.7 22.1 n/a
1989 837 37.2 22.5 n/a
1990 810 37.0 21.8 n/a
1991 770 36.2 21.2 n/a
1992 767 36.8 20.8 15.9
1993 792 31.8 24.9 22.9
1994 819 31.8 25.8 23.6
1995 783 34.1 23.0 26.3
1996 783 34.1 23.0 26.3
1997 793 32.1 24.7 26.6
1998 800 33.1 24.2 25.1
1999 725 31.0 23.4 23.7
2000 745 29.8 25.0 24
2001 705 31.0 22.7 21
2002 1124 48.1 23.4 14.1
2003 1124 48.1 23.4 14.1
2004 1132 47.6 23.8 13.8
2005 1089 47.6 22.9 25.9
2006 1062 47.4 22.4 24.6
2007 988 44.0 22.5 23.8
2008 944 46.4 20.3 27.6
2009 1018 41.4 22.3 23.2
2010 999 38.2 26.1 21.9
2011 975 n/a n/a 20.9
2012 1010 38.7 26.0 n/a
2013 1038 39.9 25.9 26.8
2014 1076 43.3 24.8 19.6
2015 1156 38.0 30.4 17.3
2016 1207 49.0 24.6 21.5
2017 1278 54.4 23.4 16.1
2018 1333 54.9 24.2 15.7
2019 1297 55.0 23.5 17.2
2020 1273 n/a n/a 16.4
2021 1278 51.6 24.7 17.2
2022 1302 52.2 24.9 15.1
2023 1302 50.5 25.7 17.4
2024 1854 73.2 25.3 19.6

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 Thornton Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 789 35.7 22.1 n/a
1989 837 37.2 22.5 n/a
1990 810 37.0 21.8 n/a
1991 770 36.2 21.2 n/a
1992 767 36.8 20.8 15.9
1993 792 31.8 24.9 22.9
1994 819 31.8 25.8 23.6
1995 783 34.1 23.0 26.3
1996 783 34.1 23.0 26.3
1997 793 32.1 24.7 26.6
1998 800 33.1 24.2 25.1
1999 725 31.0 23.4 23.7
2000 745 29.8 25.0 24
2001 705 31.0 22.7 21
2002 1124 48.1 23.4 14.1
2003 1124 48.1 23.4 14.1
2004 1132 47.6 23.8 13.8
2005 1089 47.6 22.9 25.9
2006 1062 47.4 22.4 24.6
2007 988 44.0 22.5 23.8
2008 944 46.4 20.3 27.6
2009 1018 41.4 22.3 23.2
2010 999 38.2 26.1 21.9
2011 975 n/a n/a 20.9
2012 1010 38.7 26.0 n/a
2013 1038 39.9 25.9 26.8
2014 1076 43.3 24.8 19.6
2015 1156 38.0 30.4 17.3
2016 1207 49.0 24.6 21.5
2017 1278 54.4 23.4 16.1
2018 1333 54.9 24.2 15.7
2019 1297 55.0 23.5 17.2
2020 1273 n/a n/a 16.4
2021 1278 51.6 24.7 17.2
2022 1302 52.2 24.9 15.1
2023 1302 50.5 25.7 17.4
2024 1854 73.2 25.3 19.6

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 Thornton Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,532

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thornton Middle

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 130th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 66th of 2802 Middle schools
 2.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Thornton Middle)81.284.6
 3.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fremont Unified)78.877.1
 1.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Thornton Middle)78.374.5
 3.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Fremont Unified)73.568.8
 4.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Thornton Middle)73.580.5
 7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fremont Unified)76.477.2
 0.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Thornton Middle)72.169.9
 2.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Fremont Unified)7266.5
 5.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Thornton Middle)62.761.3
 1.3%
   8th Grade Science (Fremont Unified)62.559.6
 2.8%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students12971302
 0.4%
African American3727
 27%
American Indian22
Asian929991
 6.7%
Hispanic134144
 7.5%
Pacific Islander158
 46.7%
White13495
 29.1%
Two or More Races4635
 23.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients17.2%17.4%
 0.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Thornton Middle

Yes! Thornton Middle is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 92nd of 2777 California middle schools.

Students at Thornton Middle are 76% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 7% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Students who attend Thornton Middle usually go on to attend American High

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,854 students attended Thornton Middle.


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





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