Is Thornton Elementary School a good school?

Thornton Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.3% of Colorado elementary schools.

How many students attend Thornton Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 372 students attended Thornton Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Thornton Elementary School?

Students at Thornton Elementary School are 74% Hispanic, 13% White, 7% Asian, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Thornton Elementary School attend?

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

Thornton Elementary School

Summary:

Thornton Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Thornton, Colorado, with a student population of 391 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school faces significant challenges, with a student population that is predominantly Hispanic (75.45%) and a very high percentage of students (79.54%) qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Academically, Thornton Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Colorado elementary schools, with proficiency rates on the CMAS assessments that are significantly lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 4.3% of Thornton Elementary students were proficient or better in CMAS Math, compared to 33.3% for the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district and 34.2% for the state. The nearby schools in the same district, such as STEM Launch, McElwain Elementary, and North Mor Elementary, also perform poorly compared to state averages, but generally outperform Thornton Elementary on academic metrics.

Interestingly, the nearby Mapleton School District, which is ranked 112 out of 116 districts in Colorado, operates several magnet schools near Thornton Elementary, such as Achieve Academy, Meadow Community School, and Clayton Partnership School. These magnet schools tend to have higher academic proficiency rates than Thornton Elementary, despite serving similar student populations in terms of economic disadvantage and racial/ethnic diversity. Addressing the underlying issues at Thornton Elementary will likely require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to support the unique needs of its student population and improve the overall quality of education.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

900 Eppinger Boulevard
Thornton, CO 80229-3504

(720) 972-5660

District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
912^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,156

Students who attend Thornton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Thornton Middle School
High:	Thornton High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 372

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.7%

White:

13.4%

Asian:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.6%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Thornton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thornton Elementary School ranks worse than 96.7% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 31^st among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.1. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (73.7%), White (13.4%), Asian (6.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thornton Elementary School is 13.1, which is the lowest among 35 elementary schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Thornton Elementary School employs 28.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thornton Elementary School is $17,156, which is the 14^th highest among 32 elementary schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Thornton 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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Your rating for Thornton Elementary School?

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Rank History for Thornton Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Thornton Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	4.32	772^nd	808	4.5%
2005	12.53	732^nd	823	11.1%
2006	9.72	749^th	829	9.7%
2007	9.73	781^st	852	8.3%
2008	5.56	811^th	849	4.5%
2009	4.38	840^th	872	3.7%
2010	5.62	884^th	925	4.4%
2011	5.83	889^th	935	4.9%
2012	4.06	925^th	935	1.1%
2013	6.70	905^th	954	5.1%
2014	7.89	920^th	962	4.4%
2015	11.60	872^nd	938	7.0%
2016	12.04	843^rd	914	7.8%
2017	14.53	810^th	929	12.8%
2018	11.06	862^nd	917	6.0%
2019	9.58	921^st	965	4.6%
2022	11.88	854^th	921	7.3%
2023	8.69	899^th	933	3.6%
2024	8.10	912^th	943	3.3%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Thornton Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.78	686^th	690	0.6%
2019	8.23	737^th	758	2.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Thornton Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	12.13	632^nd	693	8.8%
2019	10.59	719^th	764	5.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male 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 Thornton Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	476	10	5	188	2	n/a	n/a	681
1989	418	20	5	179	2	n/a	n/a	624
1990	431	18	11	174	5	n/a	n/a	639
1991	444	10	8	183	12	n/a	n/a	657
1992	458	12	7	175	4	n/a	n/a	656
1993	372	10	5	178	8	n/a	n/a	573
1994	363	15	0	163	13	n/a	n/a	554
1995	289	27	7	231	9	n/a	n/a	563
1996	289	27	7	231	9	n/a	n/a	563
1997	307	21	14	212	4	n/a	n/a	558
1998	326	20	10	196	11	n/a	n/a	563
1999	324	13	8	163	12	n/a	n/a	520
2000	330	14	11	199	15	n/a	n/a	569
2001	301	12	17	244	10	n/a	n/a	584
2002	194	20	19	290	14	n/a	n/a	537
2003	194	20	19	290	14	n/a	n/a	537
2004	193	16	27	334	9	n/a	n/a	579
2005	145	24	37	379	5	n/a	n/a	590
2006	127	28	31	403	4	n/a	n/a	593
2007	109	18	25	469	9	n/a	n/a	630
2008	87	10	24	364	2	n/a	n/a	487
2009	97	12	29	364	4	n/a	n/a	506
2010	96	13	29	341	5	n/a	n/a	484
2011	113	3	14	308	4	0	4	446
2012	110	10	22	285	3	2	2	434
2013	106	9	25	279	4	0	7	430
2014	86	11	20	264	4	2	6	393
2015	95	13	21	267	1	2	8	407
2016	100	16	20	252	3	0	8	399
2017	84	10	20	270	2	0	8	394
2018	91	14	14	317	2	0	8	446
2019	81	14	8	314	5	0	8	430
2020	86	13	8	296	3	0	7	413
2021	61	13	5	253	0	0	7	339
2022	46	4	10	274	1	0	8	343
2023	52	10	21	295	2	0	11	391
2024	50	11	25	274	2	0	10	372

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	681	37.2	18.3	n/a
1989	624	31.4	19.8	42.9
1990	639	34.6	18.4	42.7
1991	657	36.3	18.0	43.5
1992	656	38.7	16.9	41.2
1993	573	35.2	16.3	46.9
1994	554	32.0	17.3	46
1995	563	33.0	17.1	55.2
1996	563	33.0	17.1	55.2
1997	558	36.0	15.5	47.3
1998	563	35.8	15.7	57.2
1999	520	33.1	15.7	44
2000	569	32.0	17.8	48.3
2001	584	33.2	17.6	46.6
2002	537	32.0	16.8	56.2
2003	537	32.0	16.8	56.2
2004	579	31.3	18.5	57.9
2005	590	33.7	17.5	64.1
2006	593	33.7	17.6	73.4
2007	630	38.5	16.4	77.5
2008	487	31.5	15.5	75.2
2009	506	29.6	17.1	79.1
2010	484	30.5	15.8	83.9
2011	446	28.5	15.6	86.3
2012	434	23.0	18.8	87.1
2013	430	22.0	19.5	85.3
2014	393	23.0	17.0	80.2
2015	407	24.0	16.9	77.1
2016	399	24.0	16.6	76.9
2017	394	22.6	17.4	76.4
2018	446	24.2	18.3	69.5
2019	430	25.9	16.6	84.2
2020	413	25.0	16.5	86.7
2021	339	24.5	13.8	82.3
2022	343	22.4	15.3	80.2
2023	391	25.0	15.6	79.5
2024	372	28.3	13.1	87.6

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 Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	681	37.2	18.3	n/a
1989	624	31.4	19.8	42.9
1990	639	34.6	18.4	42.7
1991	657	36.3	18.0	43.5
1992	656	38.7	16.9	41.2
1993	573	35.2	16.3	46.9
1994	554	32.0	17.3	46
1995	563	33.0	17.1	55.2
1996	563	33.0	17.1	55.2
1997	558	36.0	15.5	47.3
1998	563	35.8	15.7	57.2
1999	520	33.1	15.7	44
2000	569	32.0	17.8	48.3
2001	584	33.2	17.6	46.6
2002	537	32.0	16.8	56.2
2003	537	32.0	16.8	56.2
2004	579	31.3	18.5	57.9
2005	590	33.7	17.5	64.1
2006	593	33.7	17.6	73.4
2007	630	38.5	16.4	77.5
2008	487	31.5	15.5	75.2
2009	506	29.6	17.1	79.1
2010	484	30.5	15.8	83.9
2011	446	28.5	15.6	86.3
2012	434	23.0	18.8	87.1
2013	430	22.0	19.5	85.3
2014	393	23.0	17.0	80.2
2015	407	24.0	16.9	77.1
2016	399	24.0	16.6	76.9
2017	394	22.6	17.4	76.4
2018	446	24.2	18.3	69.5
2019	430	25.9	16.6	84.2
2020	413	25.0	16.5	86.7
2021	339	24.5	13.8	82.3
2022	343	22.4	15.3	80.2
2023	391	25.0	15.6	79.5
2024	372	28.3	13.1	87.6

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 Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,759
2020	$13,099
2021	$15,500
2022	$15,849
2023	$17,156

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thornton 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 921^st of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 899^th of 933 Elementary schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Thornton Elementary School)	21.1	9.4	11.7%
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 (Thornton Elementary School)	14.3	6.3	8%
3rd Grade Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	35.3	35.4	0.1%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	39.4	1.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Thornton Elementary School)	11.4	14.3	2.9%
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%
4th Grade Math (Thornton Elementary School)	7	12	5%
4th Grade Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	32.1	29.1	3%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	30.7	2.9%
5th Grade Science (Thornton Elementary School)	12.9	11.8	1.1%
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 (Thornton Elementary School)	25.7	13.7	12%
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%
5th Grade Math (Thornton Elementary School)	14.1	17.6	3.5%
5th Grade Math (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)	36.8	37.2	0.4%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Thornton Elementary School)	19.4	12.5	6.9%
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 (Thornton Elementary School)	11.8	9.3	2.5%
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	430	391	9.1%
African American	14	10	28.6%
American Indian	5	2	60%
Asian	8	21	162.5%
Hispanic	314	295	6.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	81	52	35.8%
Two or More Races	8	11	37.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84.2%	79.5%	4.6%

Schools Near Thornton 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
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
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
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
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
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
North Mor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9580 Damon Drive	Northglenn	80260	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5540	314	20	15.5	76.8%	56 (17.8%)	6 (1.9%)	232 (73.9%)	14 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	12.7	837^th of 943 public elementary schools	11.2%		16.9	774^th of 933 public elementary schools	17.0%	63	19.0	20.8	23.7				21.5	18.2	12.8	20.3				17.3	10.2		$17,362
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
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
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
Explore Pk-8	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	10310 York St	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(303) 853-1300	579	29	20.0	64.2%	135 (23.3%)	4 (0.7%)	386 (66.7%)	31 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.6%)	10.7	868^th of 943 public elementary schools	8.0%		14	829^th of 933 public elementary schools	11.1%	39	22.6	7.7	16.7	14.5	10.0	30.8	17.3	28.3	13.5	9.3			17.6	13.4	9.6	17.6	$13,603

Thornton Elementary School

Adams 12 Five Star Schools:

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Rank History for Thornton Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Thornton Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Thornton Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Thornton Elementary School

Enrollment information for Thornton Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thornton Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Thornton Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thornton Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Thornton Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Thornton Elementary School