Skip to main content

Public elementary school · Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Thornton, Colorado

Thornton Elementary School

Thornton Elementary School rates 5.2, below most Adams 12 Five Star Schools elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.8.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.2this school

5.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Adams 12 Five Star Schools median is 6.8.

#1,409 of 1,829 schools in Colorado · Adams 12 Five Star Schools: 34 elementary schools rated, median 6.8

The brief

An Adams 12 Five Star Schools elementary school where students score 4 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,409 of 1,829 schools in Colorado and 38 of 54 in Adams 12 Five Star Schools.

Thornton Elementary School is listed in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math12%29 points below the Colorado average of 41%2026 CMAS
Reading12%34 points below the Colorado average of 46%Grades 3 and 5 · 106 students tested · 2026 CMAS
Proficiency is down 64 points across the 18-year record (2009–2026) and has held near 12% recently.2026 CMAS; 39 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.9
50% of the rating
Academics
3.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.8
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 23% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 26% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 CMAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 CMAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 CMAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 CMAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 80229; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Thornton Elementary School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$83,450
Median home value
$382,900
Median rent
$1,719/mo
College educated
19.8%
Homeownership
67.7%
Poverty rate
9.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80229; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
73
Very Walkable
Transit Score
30
Some Transit
Bike Score
41
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,510/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Thornton. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Thornton), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
87.6%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 6.8Compare →
  2. 6.8Compare →
  3. 6.3Compare →
  4. 5.9Compare →
  5. 5.9Compare →
  6. 5.5Compare →
  7. 5.3Compare →
  8. Thornton Elementary Schoolthis school
    5.2
  9. 4.0Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and seven rate higher than Thornton Elementary School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Thornton Elementary School serve?

Thornton Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Thornton Elementary School?

Thornton Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 372 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Thornton Elementary School is 13.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Thornton Elementary School rank in CO?

Thornton Elementary School ranks #1,409 of 1,829 schools in CO.

What is Thornton Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Thornton Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Thornton Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Thornton Elementary School has 23% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 26% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Thornton Elementary School a charter school?

No, Thornton Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Thornton Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Thornton Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Thornton Elementary School?

87.6% of students at Thornton Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
372
Student-teacher ratio
13.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Adams County
Rank in district
#38 of 54
Schools in district
54
District spending per student
$14,748
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 80229)
57,274
Area average commute
29.5 min
Area median age
32.6

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Colorado Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.