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#1353 of 1,815 schools in CO

Thornton Elementary School

Elementary School · Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Thornton, CO

An Adams 12 Five Star Schools elementary school where students score 5 points below what's typical for similar communities.

900 EPPINGER BOULEVARD, Thornton, CO 80229

  • Math 11% vs CO 37% (2025)
  • Reading 16% vs CO 45% (2025)
  • 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.6Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-3.66 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.5Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency9.6% (2025 CMAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency16.1% (2025 CMAS)
Math vs. State Avg-26.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-28.8 pts
Overall Proficiency13% (2025 CMAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)18% (model expectation from 2025 CMAS)
vs. Expected-5.5 pts
Adjusted Percentile16th
Resources & Environment5.8Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.3:1
District spending per student$14,748
Chronic Absenteeism53.5%

Students at Thornton Elementary School score 13% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 18%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 CMAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CO average.

Math Proficiency11%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
37%(2025 CMAS)
ELA Proficiency16%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
45%(2025 CMAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 62 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 14% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
80%
ELA
72%
2010
Math
77%
ELA
70%
2011
Math
44%
ELA
29%
2012
Math
47%
ELA
37%
2013
Math
42%
ELA
37%
2014
Math
8%
ELA
17%
2015
Math
14%
ELA
19%
2016
Math
12%
ELA
27%
2017
Math
8%
ELA
22%
2018
Math
12%
ELA
19%
2019
Math
12%
ELA
19%
2020*
Math
5%
ELA
22%
2021*
Math
5%
ELA
22%
2022
Math
12%
2025
Math
11%
ELA
16%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 25% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 28% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 33 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

87.6%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Thornton Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Denver map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 73Very Walkable
  • Transit 30Some Transit
  • Bike 41Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,129/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Thornton), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

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%

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

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
A Child's TouchPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–K0.7 mi17Compare →
Achieve AcademyEnrollment path unverified3.4PK–80.7 mi386Compare →
Mcelwain Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.8K–50.9 mi358Compare →
North Mor Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.3PK–50.9 mi314Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

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

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Schools in district
54
Rank in district
#31 of 53
District spending per student
$14,748NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.8%Census SAIPE · 2024

Thornton Elementary School is listed in Adams 12 Five Star Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Thornton Elementary School

Thornton Elementary School is a public elementary school in Thornton, CO, part of Adams 12 Five Star Schools, serving approximately 372 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.0 out of 10 and ranks #1,353 of 1,815 schools in CO. State assessment records show 25% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 28% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Thornton Elementary School

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 #1,353 of 1,815 schools in CO.

What is Thornton Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Thornton Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.0 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 25% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 28% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
372
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Adams County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
53.5%
Area population (ZIP 80229)
57,274
Area average commute
29.5 min
Area median age
32.6
About this school's data

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

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 · 2025 CMAS · 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 from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CMAS · 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 from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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