Is Thorndyke Elementary a good school?

Thorndyke Elementary ranks in the bottom 2.7% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Thorndyke Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 370 students attended Thorndyke Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Thorndyke Elementary?

Students at Thorndyke Elementary are 32% Hispanic, 25% African American, 13% Asian, 11% White, 8% Pacific Islander, 6% Not Specified, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Thorndyke Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thorndyke Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Showalter Middle School High : Foster Senior High School

Thorndyke Elementary

Summary:

Thorndyke Elementary is a public elementary school in Seattle, Washington, serving 370 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Tukwila School District, which is ranked 232 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thorndyke Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Washington elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 16.46% of Thorndyke students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 52.63% statewide and 32.02% in the Tukwila School District. In math, only 17.61% of Thorndyke students were proficient or better, compared to 41.68% statewide and 19.59% in the district. The school struggles to support the academic achievement of its diverse student population, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Washington elementary schools for its performance with African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, and low socioeconomic status students.

Thorndyke Elementary's academic performance is significantly lower than its neighboring schools, such as Cascade View Elementary and Tukwila Elementary, which are also in the Tukwila School District. The school's high poverty rates, with 81.92% to 84.86% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $13,931 to $25,175 over the past four school years, suggest that a multifaceted approach addressing both resource allocation and instructional practices may be necessary to drive meaningful improvements in student achievement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4415 S 150th St
Seattle, WA 98188

(206) 901-7600

District: Tukwila School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1136^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,175

Students who attend Thorndyke Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Showalter Middle School
High:	Foster Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 370

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

32.2%

African American:

24.9%

Asian:

13.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.9%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Thorndyke Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thorndyke Elementary ranks worse than 97.3% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Tukwila School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.14. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Thorndyke Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Tukwila School District. Student population at Thorndyke Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (32.2%), African American (24.9%), Asian (13%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thorndyke Elementary is 15.2. 1 elementary schools in the Tukwila School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Thorndyke Elementary employs 24.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thorndyke Elementary is $25,175, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Tukwila School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thorndyke Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Thorndyke Elementary 1136^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Thorndyke Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Tukwila School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tukwila School District 232^nd of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Thorndyke Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	7.90	990^th	1026	3.5%
2005	7.49	991^st	1031	3.9%
2006	15.71	952^nd	1051	9.4%
2007	11.76	998^th	1069	6.6%
2008	14.23	964^th	1067	9.7%
2009	20.17	914^th	1072	14.7%
2010	20.89	937^th	1088	13.9%
2011	13.73	1008^th	1092	7.7%
2012	13.93	1005^th	1097	8.4%
2013	19.54	969^th	1106	12.4%
2015	32.77	758^th	1067	29.0%
2016	24.70	839^th	1053	20.3%
2017	24.35	823^rd	1056	22.1%
2018	9.38	1000^th	1054	5.1%
2019	8.86	1069^th	1130	5.4%
2021	7.03	1082^nd	1107	2.3%
2022	4.53	1156^th	1169	1.1%
2023	6.77	1136^th	1169	2.8%
2024	6.14	1136^th	1168	2.7%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	16.24	327^th	333	1.8%
2019	17.61	237^th	248	4.4%
2023	19.04	216^th	254	15.0%
2024	15.39	300^th	320	6.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	33.87	436^th	637	31.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	20.27	745^th	835	10.8%
2019	14.10	927^th	979	5.3%
2021	13.74	818^th	854	4.2%
2022	9.77	994^th	1019	2.5%
2023	11.61	969^th	1013	4.3%
2024	8.87	989^th	1024	3.4%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	6.19	977^th	1004	2.7%
2019	11.15	993^rd	1068	7.0%
2021	7.75	987^th	1008	2.1%
2022	5.07	1093^rd	1100	0.6%
2023	7.61	1062^nd	1094	2.9%
2024	4.71	1080^th	1093	1.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	14.45	907^th	999	9.2%
2019	14.06	968^th	1075	10.0%
2021	6.11	1016^th	1025	0.9%
2022	5.22	1102^nd	1113	1.0%
2023	9.88	1053^rd	1099	4.2%
2024	12.31	1005^th	1099	8.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	12.76	158^th	169	6.5%
2019	14.95	187^th	201	7.0%
2021	7.78	124^th	131	5.3%
2022	16.84	164^th	187	12.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	33.55	84^th	107	21.5%
2019	30.53	85^th	110	22.7%
2022	17.43	104^th	108	3.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thorndyke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	23.63	461^st	540	14.6%
2019	21.47	602^nd	697	13.6%
2022	14.51	668^th	694	3.7%
2023	20.87	550^th	633	13.1%
2024	14.72	603^rd	651	7.4%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, June 17, 2016

A teacher bullied my son and the principal choose to do nothing. I had to fight tooth and nail just to transfer my son into a different class. This school meets the basic needs of the student there is no advancing for children. So if you have a choice do choose a different school for your child. The school District is lazy and backwards. No one seems to know what is going on most of them time. This school/district does not embrace or see the diversity of its students as a positive thing. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Thorndyke Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	276	26	24	14	13	n/a	n/a	0	353
1989	232	21	21	21	7	n/a	n/a	0	302
1990	272	32	17	17	9	n/a	n/a	0	347
1991	269	25	21	18	16	n/a	n/a	0	349
1992	267	41	24	12	13	n/a	n/a	0	357
1993	267	52	17	18	9	n/a	n/a	0	363
1994	263	50	21	27	8	n/a	n/a	0	369
1995	217	56	32	35	4	n/a	n/a	0	344
1996	217	56	32	35	4	n/a	n/a	0	344
1997	177	83	41	24	5	n/a	n/a	0	330
1998	167	105	55	32	7	n/a	n/a	0	366
1999	154	106	58	50	6	n/a	n/a	0	374
2000	141	77	61	61	3	n/a	n/a	0	343
2001	138	92	96	80	6	n/a	n/a	0	412
2002	154	120	91	109	5	n/a	n/a	0	479
2003	154	120	91	109	5	n/a	n/a	0	479
2004	121	137	91	111	8	n/a	n/a	0	468
2005	108	141	75	108	3	n/a	n/a	0	435
2006	103	131	91	113	3	n/a	n/a	0	441
2007	82	131	88	89	4	n/a	n/a	10	404
2008	77	139	89	88	4	n/a	n/a	17	414
2009	78	139	86	86	4	n/a	n/a	18	411
2010	72	110	97	98	4	n/a	n/a	31	412
2011	64	99	76	104	4	22	21	0	390
2012	61	100	79	113	3	22	32	0	410
2013	54	100	70	117	2	21	34	0	398
2014	45	113	69	121	9	17	32	0	406
2015	49	130	65	118	6	18	31	0	417
2016	42	125	73	132	8	16	30	0	426
2017	36	118	60	126	9	18	30	0	397
2018	29	94	69	121	8	16	35	0	372
2019	45	128	65	122	9	18	38	1	426
2020	51	126	55	134	8	22	31	0	427
2021	40	95	53	114	3	18	22	0	345
2022	45	93	42	116	4	23	16	4	343
2023	42	92	48	119	1	31	15	22	370

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 Thorndyke Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	353	13.0	27.1	0
1989	302	13.0	23.2	n/a
1990	347	14.0	24.7	0
1991	349	14.7	23.7	n/a
1992	357	16.1	22.1	n/a
1993	363	14.7	24.7	n/a
1994	369	16.3	22.6	n/a
1995	344	16.6	20.7	n/a
1996	344	16.6	20.7	n/a
1997	330	16.8	19.6	n/a
1998	366	18.1	20.2	n/a
1999	374	18.8	19.9	n/a
2000	343	18.8	18.2	n/a
2001	412	22.6	18.2	n/a
2002	479	24.6	19.5	70.1
2003	479	24.6	19.5	70.1
2004	468	21.0	22.3	73.3
2005	435	21.1	20.6	78.4
2006	441	23.7	18.6	72.1
2007	404	21.6	18.7	77.9
2008	414	24.8	16.7	89.2
2009	411	25.8	15.9	88.3
2010	412	20.5	20.1	96.6
2011	390	22.5	17.3	78.5
2012	410	21.5	18.9	81.2
2013	398	22.9	17.3	82.2
2014	406	n/a	n/a	86
2015	417	26.0	16.0	83.9
2016	426	25.0	17.0	82.6
2017	397	23.5	16.8	79.8
2018	372	24.5	15.1	83.9
2019	426	23.6	18.0	68.1
2020	427	23.6	18.0	82.9
2021	345	24.4	14.1	83.2
2022	343	24.5	13.9	81.9
2023	370	24.3	15.2	84.9

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 Thorndyke Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	353	13.0	27.1	0
1989	302	13.0	23.2	n/a
1990	347	14.0	24.7	0
1991	349	14.7	23.7	n/a
1992	357	16.1	22.1	n/a
1993	363	14.7	24.7	n/a
1994	369	16.3	22.6	n/a
1995	344	16.6	20.7	n/a
1996	344	16.6	20.7	n/a
1997	330	16.8	19.6	n/a
1998	366	18.1	20.2	n/a
1999	374	18.8	19.9	n/a
2000	343	18.8	18.2	n/a
2001	412	22.6	18.2	n/a
2002	479	24.6	19.5	70.1
2003	479	24.6	19.5	70.1
2004	468	21.0	22.3	73.3
2005	435	21.1	20.6	78.4
2006	441	23.7	18.6	72.1
2007	404	21.6	18.7	77.9
2008	414	24.8	16.7	89.2
2009	411	25.8	15.9	88.3
2010	412	20.5	20.1	96.6
2011	390	22.5	17.3	78.5
2012	410	21.5	18.9	81.2
2013	398	22.9	17.3	82.2
2014	406	n/a	n/a	86
2015	417	26.0	16.0	83.9
2016	426	25.0	17.0	82.6
2017	397	23.5	16.8	79.8
2018	372	24.5	15.1	83.9
2019	426	23.6	18.0	68.1
2020	427	23.6	18.0	82.9
2021	345	24.4	14.1	83.2
2022	343	24.5	13.9	81.9
2023	370	24.3	15.2	84.9

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.

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